The Legend of the Spirit Rider: The Prophecy Foretold
by CorinnetheAnime
Summary: After the events of Morbid Manor, Danny returns to his normal life in Amity Park, fighting ghosts while possessing the Red Necklace. However, there is also a new visitor: a homeless teen boy who needs the help of the ghost hero more than he will ever admit. But can Danny trust him? For first appearances can be very deceiving...
1. Prologue

**Hey guys, CorinnetheAnime is here with a story that I have been working on for many years! The moment has arrived! It's finally here! YIPPEE!**

**Summary: "You see, we may not know the future that lies ahead for us, but one thing is certain: the ancient prophecies will come true and someone must accept his fate in order to save us all. But who should it be? We do not know that answer at the moment. Therefore, all we can do for now is trust and hope that there is still some good left in the Four Worlds. After all, it is what the prophecies had foretold." ~Atheros, the Air Keeper**

**Rating: K+ (well, between K+ and T in my opinion. Don't worry, I strongly hate language and explicit violence, but expect fights, fears, stuff like that. And yes, there will be DxS fluff.)**

**This entire main series is dedicated to my two best friends and their wild imaginations who have worked with me for two years on it, and to God who gave me my talents and gifts so I can use them for his glory. I wouldn't even be here without Him. The original story was actually about a war between the Bitogakes (winged cats) and the hidden Secret Society against the evil Snabagons (dragon/bat/snake mix) over their world, Planet Twilocks (a combo of twilight and locks, metaphors for mystery and secrets). However, it slowly evolved into that of a girl and a boy who could control the sun and the moon. After I watched DP, I added that element in and it took me a whole year of brainstorming and imaginative power to transform the story to where it is today. This is the final result. Hope you all enjoy it. This is what you get if you've read CLASSIC LITERATURE your whole life! THEY GIVE YOU AN IMAGINATION, PEOPLE! KUDOS TO MR. LANCER AND HIS BOOK TITLES! XD**

**Disclaimers: I don't own DP because of two reasons: One, my name is not Butch Hartman, it's CorinnetheAnime! Two, I wouldn't be writing this story if I owned the show, ****now would I? **

**This takes place a few months after "Mystery at Morbid Manor". Expect Danny to be a little more mature (just a little bit). Also, I forgot to mention that MAMM took place in the summer while this book takes place in the fall. Be mindful of the seasonal timeline; it's VERY IMPORTANT IN MY SERIES! ****Okay, start the story! (curtains fail to open) NOW, YOU CONTRACT ZOMBIES! (curtains open... very slowly)**

**Prologue**

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><p>The Ghost Zone, with its painted green sky and numerous floating doors, was unusually quiet and still. A dark presence lingered in the air and many of the ghosts were worried and frightened of it. Despite wanting to fulfill their obsessions and evil desires to wreak havoc onto the human world, most of the ectoplasmic entities were too afraid to leave their own realm. Some of the ghosts didn't want to leave even their own lairs in fear of the tangible change in the air.<p>

In a large clock tower, floating in the deeper parts of the green abyss, Clockwork, in his infant form, was observing the various time pools scattered around the gear room. His keen red eyes, however, were watching one time pool in particular.

With a wave of his time staff, the mystical, swirling mists that covered the time pool immediately dissipated, revealing the horrid truth inside: the image was that of an apocalyptic city, utterly destroyed and burnt to rubble. The sky sported nothing but complete and utter darkness; there was no sun or its light despite the fact that it was midday. In fact, the only essence of any light was from the red fires that still consumed and razed the city, and the two red eyes that were watching the destruction from above, the terrible eyes of a demonic dragon. A deep, rumbling cackle resounded through the air, the only sound that could be heard for miles all around. All in all, it was a terrifying future that showed nothing but hopelessness and sheer desolation.

Clockwork flinched from the disturbing scenery and immediately caused the misty clouds to obscure it from view; this was much worse than even the alternate future of Dark Dan. _"__This future must be prevented at all costs, but that would mean that he has to accept his destiny, his fate in all of this. If the prophecies are to be fulfilled...but will he do it?" _

The time ghost silently floated over to the back of the room, away from the time pools. His middle-aged adult form hovered over to a wooden table, noticing the various array of objects that were lain scattered on it: broken cuckoo clocks made of either wood or metal, multiple stacks of gear pieces and wheels of different shapes and sizes, a couple of time medallions that sported the initials "CW" on them, and a metal, cylindrical-shaped device whose walls and caps sported many dents and cracks. It's a wonder how it could still hold the wicked entity inside after all these months.

However, even the monster who dwelled inside that old thermos that would day by day bang and scream in hopeless efforts to get out and wreak chaos once more...was abnormally silent. It was very much unlike him, but Clockwork knew that Dan can also sense the evil presence that lurks in the air, despite his current imprisonment. Everyone has their fears...not that Dan will ever admit that in a million years.

In fact, all the ghosts are afraid of this certain presence, but who could really blame them? This invisible evil in the air was the kind that would strike fear in anyone's heart at the mention of its name, the kind that could wipe out entire nations without lifting a single finger, the kind that knows the whole mortal world inside and out and will take every chance to destroy it. Yes, this evil has existed since _before _the beginning of creation and it will stop at nothing to become the ultimate ruler of the Four Worlds, hopefully extinguishing all of mankind along the way.

Clockwork sighed wearily at the truth; not even he could stop this egregious darkness. It was way too powerful. He floated back to the time pools once more, but this time, he was searching for something else, something good, something...hopeful.

Within moments, another time pool immediately cleared itself of the mists, revealing a very different picture: it was that of a human teenage boy. However, this boy was not completely normal.

Sure, the kid was wearing average human clothing: a black t-shirt with a yellow triangle insignia in the middle, navy blue jeans that hung loosely around his hips, dirty black-and-red sneakers that are completely scratched up from life, and the only article of clothing that is in pure pristine condition: a golden necklace resting on the collarbone, gleaming brightly in the sun with all its radiance.

However, the clothing was the only normal thing about the boy: his hair was a light brown with two "ear" tufts standing up near the top of his head. His eyes were most unnatural with a golden color bright as the sun, and his feline pupils were narrowed into thin slits like that of an angry cat. Both of his hands wielded sharp claws, in fact, his right arm was completely covered in a flourish of sun-dipped scales with a beautiful shine like that of an eagle's legs. But the most striking feature of the boy was the two wings resting in an arch, their golden feathers gathering sunlight with all of their splendor. And last but certainly not least, a feathered tail swayed from side to side restlessly behind him.

Anyone could have easily mistaken the boy as a fallen angel, but Clockwork knew the real truth. The boy is most definitely not an angel, believe it or not, he is fully human, right down to the last molecule of DNA. However, the boy is completely oblivious of the mighty power lurking inside of him, waiting to be acknowledged.

Clockwork sighed as he shifted into his old man form; that revelation will have to come much later in the future. He then swished his staff again, making the mist reappear again. After all, he is expecting a guest.

Within moments of the movement, a large wolf entered the time ghost's lair through the open door. His fur was like the overcast shadows in the gear room, the color of pitch black. In contrast of his coat, his white gaze was fixated on the aged ghost before him, showing a look of concern and solemnness. He made no move to turn invisible; Clockwork probably knew he was coming the moment he entered the Ghost Zone. But what he doesn't know is the reason why the wolf spirit came in the first place.

"Clockwork, I have come to you from the Spirit Realm in order to tell you of an important message from the Everlord himself. It is of the utmost importance that you should hear it." He announced in a firm, grave tone, his eyes unwavering from the time ghost's back while doing so. The old ghost turned into his young form once more, still very wise and bearing great knowledge in his years, and turned around to face the spiritual beast.

"Is it concerning the boy and his destiny?" The mentioned time ghost asked in return, making the wolf lower his head till his eyes met the floor, regarding the seriousness of the situation.

"It's just as we feared. The good news is that the Sun Spirit is approaching Amity Park at an alarming rate. The ghost boy will come in contact with him very soon. You did send that message to Reginald, didn't you?" At the last question, the wolf raised his head with a questioning look plastered on his features.

"Yes, I did. Reginald already warned the boy." Clockwork replied in his usual monotone, although it was not of disrespect or sarcasm. "And the bad news is concerning the matter of Erebus, am I not correct?"

"_He _is coming as well. And this time, he's more powerful, much more powerful. His strength and fire rivals even that of the Sun Spirit himself which means that almost all of the other Keepers are no match against him, not even Spirus. I do not know how he gained so much power in such a short amount of time, but he must be stopped. The Observants and the High Council are all going crazy about this; they're afraid of the possible. What should we do about this, Clockwork?"

At those apprehensive news, Clockwork knew that times have changed since the Mountain Battle back in England and that now, even with Spirus's help, Danny wouldn't stand a chance against this great evil. No, it all rests on the Sun Spirit and his host. "Nothing at the moment. Do not question the prophecies; they are true and right. But when the time comes, I will send you to find the Sun Spirit and warn him of _his _return. The spirit will know what to do from there. Then return to me and wait for further instruction, Chronulf." (1)

The wolf, Chronulf, nodded in affirmation, but his white eyes still sported a sense of uncertainty. "I will do my best, Clockwork, but I am still unsure about all of this. What if the boy doesn't accept his destiny?"

Clockwork's response was a genuine smile, a symbol of hope and light. "He will. It's only a matter of time, Chronulf."

"Then I'll do my best, Clockwork. I do hope you know what you're doing. There is a terrible storm coming and I fear that we're in the midst of it."

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><p>Meanwhile, somewhere in the human world, there was a large forest and it was teeming with all sorts of life: the songbirds were singing their melodious melodies, the white-tailed deer nibbled on the soft grass, and the wind whistled its merry tune among the various branches and limbs of the trees, making the leaves respond to it with their rustling. The sky above was a bright blue; not a cloud was in sight. The tree canopy concealed hardly any sunlight from the ground, allowing all kinds of flowers to grow and show off their colors.<p>

Suddenly, in a matter of moments, the forest quieted, causing an ominous chill to fill the air. All the animals stayed still and silent, sensing a dark presence around them. Not even the wind whistled its hollow tune. The birds then flew off towards other parts of the forest and the deer scattered away into the shadows as well. Someone was coming.

Panting harshly, twigs snapping and leaves crackling underneath his feet, a lone figure raced through the thick forest, stumbling over the occasional log or tree stump every few seconds. Looking back behind them, the figure didn't notice the thicket bush that was in his path until it was too late...

CRASH! The silhouetted person crashed headlong into the bush, his clothes getting caught and ripped by the sharp thorns. The figure stopped all movement altogether and held his breath in apprehension of the situation, listening for the sound of his pursuer's footsteps.

Nothing. There was no sound. The figure let out a breath of relief before he focused on his current predicament, revealing his true form as a young teenage boy, wearing a black t-shirt with a yellow triangle in the center, long blue jeans, red-and-black shoes, and a golden necklace resting around his neck, shining in the various sun spots of the forest. His eyes were completely heterochromatic, which was unusual but not unlikely for a human: his left eye was a dark brown while his right was an electric yellow. He ran a pale, Caucasian hand through his ragged brown hair and plucked out all of the leaves and twigs that were caught in it, wincing slightly at he felt the weird objects.

After he removed all the debris from his head and hair, the boy then looked over his shoulder to check if the coast is clear, momentarily forgetting about the thorns that surrounded his form. The sharp appendages poked at his face, making the boy cry out in pain.

"OW!" His voice echoed loudly through the forest as he pulled away from the needle-like appendages, wiping away any blood from his face. However, he soon remembered his pursuer and clamped his hands over his mouth, ignoring the tingling throbs of pain on his face while doing so. He waited for a sound, any sound.

SNAP! Far off in the distance, a stick snapped in half, followed by soft footsteps crunching on the ground. The boy gasped in shock and immediately tried to escape the thicket and run, but his shirt and jeans were both ensnared in its prickles. The footsteps were growing louder and louder and the poor boy at this point was frantically squirming in his snare in order to be free.

_"What can I do? I have to get away now?!" _In his terrified state, the boy lunged forcibly at a nearby parting of the bush. His black shirt got slightly ripped in the process, but he eventually escaped the thicket's thorns with nothing more than a few scratches and cuts. Not far from his position, the boy heard the sound of someone's footsteps quicken into a run. He then sprinted wildly into the forest, hoping to outrun or escape his pursuer.

The boy soon stumbled upon a large meadow-like clearing between the forest and a city, far off in the distance. Sweat and blood trickled down his face like a river, staining his ragged clothes. Out of breath, the boy stopped to give himself a few moments of rest.

While catching his breath, the boy looked around his surroundings, fear evident in his odd-colored eyes. Here he was, out in the open with no protection from the elements _and _having a mysterious madman chasing him to no ends. Considering those odds, anyone would be on edge, but after giving a quick glance around the scenery and spotting nothing but the grassy plains and the city in front of him and the thick forest behind him, the brown-haired boy breathed a sigh of relief. He then reached for his necklace and opened the clasp on the side with his thumb.

Inside the necklace was a facial picture of a girl who looked around the age of thirteen or fourteen. She had shoulder-length brown hair with blue highlights, much more darker than the boy's. She wore semi-circle glasses and her eyes were also heterochromatic: her left eye was an ocean blue and her right was a grassy green color.

Tears trickled down the boy's cheeks as he continued to stare longingly at the picture, but he wiped them off with his arm. He then gained a look of fierce determination.

"Don't worry, Alicia, I will find you. Even if it kills me." He declared in a confident tone, his eyes blazing with hope and resolve. He then closed the clasp and reached down towards the right jean pocket, taking out a crumpled piece of paper and opening it.

_Dear Alex,_

_Your end is near. If you're reading this, then you know that I have kidnapped you best friend, Alicia. If you want her back alive, you have to hand over the Golden Necklace to me. You have ten days or she dies, so you better hurry, time is running out. However, I don't want the fun to end so quickly, so I'll give you a chance to find her. _

_Here's a hint: go to Illinois and look for a little town named Amity Park. If you know its mysteries, then you know the person who can help you. _

_That's all I'll tell you...for now. The second hint awaits for you in Amity Park. Better hurry._

_S.D._

The young boy, Alex, glared at the words, his eyes burning with rage and hatred. Whoever did this will pay dearly for it, very dearly. He stuffed the ransom note back into his pocket and started to walk again, towards the city ahead of him.

"Whoever this S.D. person is, he's going to pay for this." He growled venomously, his face locked into a dark glare at no one in particular. Alex clenched his fists in anger as he continued, "A lot of nerve he has, kidnapping Alicia! When I find him, I'm gonna wring his little-"

**"THERE YOU ARE, KID!" **A loud shout was heard from behind the boy's form, making him freeze in his tracks and gasp. Alex whipped his body around and searched for the intruder...only to get blasted square in the chest with a red ray of light.

The brown-haired teen's form skidded harshly on the earth, his pale hands clenching his shirt and chest in pain. His eyes widened as he spotted a silhouetted figure approaching him from the shadows of the forest. All traces of his rage were replaced with utter terror; he had to get away from this person, whoever it is.

Without thinking clearly about his current situation, Alex stumbled into a run, not looking back at the pursuer who was shouting curses and threats at him. The boy raced like crazy, not caring about the throbbing pain in his chest or his hunter; he just kept on sprinting for his dear life.

As he ran, Alex could barely make out the city's lights twinkling faintly back at him in the distance; he was almost out of the grassy plains. The boy then turned his head towards his left and glanced upward at the sky, noticing the dark storm clouds approaching rapidly over the horizon. He felt a strong fear shake him to his core as he heard the loud booms and rumbles of the thunderstorm. Soon, the whole sky will be blanketed in a thick layer of gray and black colors, predicting rain and other forms of precipitation.

At those scary thoughts, Alex made himself go faster, hoping to escape both his hunter and the inevitable storm. He had to reach the city which, unbeknownst to him for the moment, was the very place that he was searching for...Amity Park.

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><p><strong>Yep, this is the prologue to my main series. It's noticeably darker, isn't it? Well, I've been working on this part and the next five chapters for approximately a year, so that's why it's so descriptive. Also, I made the coverart, so yeah, that is my main OC, Alex Goldpen. It took me approximately 1 month from start to finish, most of the time being lazy. (Sketchbook Pro 6 is AWESOME and easier to work with than GIMP in my opinion. Not that I'm a GIMP hater; I like the program.) Sorry if the ransom letter is dumb or something. Now, onward to the questions:<strong>

**-Who are the Elemental Keepers?**

**-Who or what is the Sun Spirit?**

**-How is Clockwork involved in all of this?**

**-Who is Chronulf?**

**-Who or what is Alex running from?**

**-Who is S.D.?**

**Some are easy, some are hard to figure out. For those of you who have read my "MAMM" story, you know the answers to a couple of the questions, but you can still put your guess/opinion in your reviews. For those of you who haven't, you can guess as well. I want to see your opinions also. If you review, you'll get a virtual, talking, bear-hug proof, Danny Phantom plushie! THEY'RE SO CUTE!**

**(1) This is another OC of mine. Chronulf is a combo of Chronos (or Kronos, the leader of the Titans and the controller of time in Greek Mythology) and wolf, well, Wulf (he's an awesome werewolf ghost). He was originally gonna be the Keeper of Destiny (this was in the early days of writing the story, after watching DP), but then I changed him to that of a messenger for Clockwork. I also scrapped the silver Necklace and Crown of Destiny a few months ago. Yeah, this prologue was changed a LOT. Edit, re-edit, re-re-edit, etc...took me a few years. (3**

**I will try to update on Saturdays, but not every week. I have a VERY busy life for the next few months. :/ I will try to update every 1-3 weeks per chapter...at best. I will NOT take more than a month...I promise. *cue dramatic music* Okay, I really need to stop watching TUE.**

**DON'T FORGET TO READ AND REVIEW! HOPE YOU LIKE IT! :D**


	2. A Strange Morning

**Okay, here's the next chapter of the story! But first, REVIEWS! :D**

**To LunaTheBlackWolf: Thanks for your guesses. The answers will be revealed...eventually. :) Here's a DP plushie. (hands plushie)**

**To MZD16IZTHEno.1PJOFAN: I don't think Danny's chasing Alex. Also, I'm glad that you like my writings and I will await your next review. (hands plushie)**

**To Gracie Ghost: Hmm, Chronulf is a messenger for Clockwork, but he might be something else...so mysterious. MAN, I'M RIDICULOUS WITH SUSPENSE! (hands plushie) **

**To TheWorldOfUniversalPower: I hope you like this one too! And I'm glad that you love MAMM! (hands plushie)**

**To Cookieplzandthx: Yami Corrie "accidentally" dropped the thermos from the roof of a fifty story building. She wondered if the zombies can feel pain or at least an adrenaline rush. :/ Except I don't know where the zombies are now. As for Yami... *Author steps to the side and reveals Yami Corrie chained and glued to a tree* She's in a timeout. Also, I'm glad that you like the cover. Hehe, yeeaaahhhhh... TUE is good, but scary. The reason I gotta stop is because Yami wants to become the next Dan Phantom. She's already the worst kind of evil on Fanfiction (a strange, evil, insane sociopathic Mary Sue in my opinion). (hands plushie)**

**Now, onto...disclaimers. I hope those stupid zombies don't return. I don't own DP. However, I CAN play the second movement of "Pathetique" by Beethoven on the piano.*A small rock hits Author in the back of her head* OW! OKAY, WHO THREW THAT?! WAS THAT YOU, YAMI CORRIE?!**

**I was listening to "Breath and Life" by Audiomachine when I typed this chappie. It might fit the dream. Or it could be Spirus's theme. He's mysterious enough. (3 Also, this is my second combo of 1st and 3rd person in a single chapter. Check chappie 3 of "The Life of Cujo." That was my first combo...I think. NOT COUNTING ONE-SHOTS! **

**Chapter 1 A Strange Morning **

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><p><strong>1st person<strong>

_Dirt. The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the nasty taste of dirt in my mouth. I quickly spat it out in disgust and opened my eyes in order to identify where I was. Unfortunately, all I could see was darkness everywhere...literally. __I raised my hand to my face and waved it in front of me. There was still nothing. I couldn't visualize my hand. I sighed in defeat; this was pointless._

_Suddenly, within moments, there was light. Well, it was actually lights. In a matter of seconds, there was an instant spark of flame, a torch being lit with fire a couple of feet above my head. I then noticed another torch being lit and then another and another... _

_Soon, there was an entire row of torches all lit with fire, destroying the darkness. The orange flames of light vaguely revealed my current location: I was in a dark hallway made of stone, possibly like that of a dungeon. However, there were no jail cells or even doors, just a black passage with torches that seem to go on for eternity._

_I glanced down at the floor and noticed that it was made of marble, covered in a thin layer of earth and puddles of water. I felt a strong breeze in the air tickling my bare arms, making me shudder from the cold exposure. _

_Still shivering, I slowly rose to my feet, unsure whether to go left or right. After a few minutes of uncertainty, I eventually made up my mind and decided to go right. I turned my gaze towards that direction of the hallway, careful not to get my shoes wet. The indoor wind didn't help much with the current situation either._

_I was about to walk forward when I heard a sharp cry sounding behind me. I whipped around and noticed a strange creature: it was like that of a regular housecat, but its fur was a glistening white, emitting some sort of glow all by itself. Two wings rested on the cat's sides and a fan-like tail swayed hurriedly from left to right; all of the feathers were dipped in a golden color at the ends. The creature's front feet were larger than that of a normal cat, actually, they were more dog-like in appearance with sharp claws sticking out. Its back legs were both scaly and four-toed, like that of a bird. The cat's yellow eyes watched me with a stern glare, as if urging me to do something, make a move, anything. (1)_

_"Well, kid, are you going to follow me or not?" With those words, the white winged cat trotted past my form and down the dimly lit hallway, holding a key in its mouth as it di- WAIT! A key? Where did that come from? This dream keeps getting weirder and weirder..._

_ I hesitantly ran after the creature; it was either that or stand around in this hallway without a clue of what to do. Besides, maybe I'll finally get some answers for once; the cat seems to know what's going on around here, whatever this place is._

_"Mind the elements. The Keepers are still watching." The cat remarked in a muffled tone, leaping over another puddle of water. It took me a few seconds to understand what the short creature meant, sort of. I was still completely confused about all this._

_"Where are we? What is this place? Who or what are you?" I asked, hoping to get some answers. I was about to continue, but the cat stopped in its tracks abruptly and turned towards me with a surprised glint in its yellow eyes._

_"I'd rather not say, but I'm surprised that you don't remember." He replied cryptically, placing the key down on one of its front paws while doing so. "You're in a dream right now, well, even that's not entirely true. This hallway is a very special spiritual place known as the Dreams Seeker. It only appears in the Keepers' dreams...and maybe their hosts. I am the caretaker of this spiritual hallway and I guard all its secrets and mysteries. This place contains all the memories of the Keepers, all their past experiences. Are you with me so far?"_

_I nodded slowly, understanding some of the things the cat told me. So I'm in another strange dream like last time, aren't I? Maybe Nocturne is messing with my head again, but no, this one seems...different in a way. But how?_

_I glanced down at the key resting on the creature's paw and casted a puzzled look at it. The cat noticed my bewilderment and picked it up with its sharp teeth in emphasize. _

_"This key contains and locks away the memories of the Keepers' hosts until the right time. It hasn't been used in ten millennia and now, the door shall be opened once more. It is as the Everlord has told me, is telling me, and will tell me."_

_That last statement caught me completely off guard, despite the weird use of the grammar tenses. "Door? Everlord? What are you talking about?"_

_What happened next was both insulting and surprising to me: the cat...metaphorically laughed its head off. It then stared at me as if I've gone utterly insane...which I'm not. The winged creature's reaction at my questions only created even more confusion to me._

_"Y-you can't be serious?! Who hasn't heard of the Everlord?" I raised my hand in reply and gave a sarcastic glare at the cat who immediately stopped his antics when he realized that I am not joking. "You really don't know?"_

_"Yeah, I don't know." At my deadpanned statement, the winged cat furrowed its brow and then started walking down the torch-lit hallway with the key still in its mouth, gesturing me with its wing to follow it. I silently followed, ignoring the feeling of water and earth soaking into my shoes._

_"Then come. I was about to show you the door anyway. It's time you knew the truth." With those words, before I knew it, a great wind rushed through the passageway and swept us up from the floor, sending us flying through the air. I screamed the entire way, but the cat scolded me in a harsh tone, still holding the key between its teeth._

_"Don't panic, the wind is our friend." _

_"But you're the one with wings!" _

_"That doesn't mean anything. Besides, we're here." I felt the strong breeze suddenly disappear and I once again felt the taste of dirt enter my mouth upon impact. Okay, this was getting a little bit old._

_"Get up. Now is not the time to lie down. We're here." I looked up at the spirit creature's voice and noticed a large door blocking the path before me: it was half red and half black with the handle and lock being a dark brown color. It also casted a faint glow around the frame, but I couldn't make out the color. The white cat then placed the key into my open left palm, implying that I should open the door._

_"Wait, why should I open this door? What's inside?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. The cat glared in return of the accusing, opening its wings slightly in a threatening pose. It eyed my hand with hungry yellow eyes, its pupils narrowed into thin black slits. The intense stare was a bit unnerving._

_"This door contains a very special secret that only a chosen few mortals and Evermortals know." It replied, still staring at the key in my hand. "However, the door will not open unless it is offered the Keeper's element that the host possesses. Since you are the host of the Life Keeper, the element you possess is Life, or in its most common form in the mortal world, blood. Therefore, the door needs your blood in order for it to be unlocked by the key that you hold in your left hand."_

_Before I could fully comprehend his sentence, the winged cat lunged for my form and sunk its sharp teeth into my left hand, making me drop the key in pain. Fortunately, the cat drew its fangs back after a few seconds, leaving a row of puncture wounds in my wrist, oozing with the red liquid. I glowered at the white beast while clutching my wounded hand._

_"OW! Why did you bite me?!" I shouted angrily, forgetting about the key that lied on the ground in front of me. The cat drew its ears back and ruffled its wings, emitting an low growl in response to my accusation._

_"Did you not listen to me earlier?! I told you that the door needs the element that you possess, in your case, blood. I know it sounds morbid or like something from a cult, but I assure you, it's not. Part of my job as the caretaker of the Dreams Seeker is to release the element of a Keepers' hosts in order for them to unlock their memories. If it were anyone else, except for the Death Keeper and Fire Keeper, I would have them control one of the four physical elements that dwell in this room. Now, use the key in your left hand and open the door."_

_I nodded slowly, still mad at the cat for biting me. However, one part of the creature's statement left me confused. "Wait, what about the Death Keeper and the Fire Keeper? How will they open the door?"_

_The winged animal rolled his eyes and drooped its head in exasperation. "You ask a lot of questions, kid. The Death Keeper's element includes the darkness and the shadows of this room. As for the Fire Keeper, well, he doesn't need to visit this place. Now go! You don't have much time!"_

_The answers didn't really help much, but it was better than nothing, I guess. I sighed heavily and looked down, noticing the key resting on the earth before me. I picked it up with my injured hand, careful not to move my wrist too much. I was still unsure about all this, especially from the fact that the cat could attack me again at any time. Okay, now I'm getting paranoid._

_Squeezing my eyes shut in anticipation, I shoved the key into the lock and quickly turned, hearing a loud click after a few moments. Letting go of the key, the door then creaked open all by itself and a blinding light immediately overwhelmed me, making me cover my eyes with my hands in hopes of blocking out most of the brightness. The cat also closed its eyes, but it was out of solemnness of the situation, not out of the effect of the door's light._

_"Go and unlock your memories! The moment has arrived at last!"_

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><p><strong>3rd person <strong>

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The loud noise of the red alarm clock blared through the room, making the current resident, fifteen-year-old Danny Fenton, who was sleeping so peacefully in the bed groan in protest. In his sleepy state and with his enhanced senses, including hypersensitive hearing, the continuous beeping was like that of a blasting air horn: loud, obnoxious and _constant. _Heck, it might as well _be _an air horn. He stuffed his face into a pillow tightly in high hopes to block out the noise.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Nope. It didn't work. Danny grumbled incoherently into his pillow as he slammed his clenched fist into the infuriating device, momentarily forgetting that the snooze button doesn't work anymore, due to his past morning adventures with the alarm clock.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEE-! CRASH!

With a cry of frustration, Danny shot a weak ecto-blast at the clock, making it fly into the wall and breaking into a million pieces upon impact. However, after realizing what he had done, the ghost boy groaned again and sat up in his bed, rubbing the sleep and grit out of his eyes.

"Great." He mumbled as he stretched his sore limbs. Danny then looked over at the spot on the floor that contained the tiny pieces of the device. He mentally face-palmed himself at the sight. "I'll fix it later."

In his still half-asleep state, Danny slipped off of his bed and walked to his dresser, getting dressed for another normal school day, well, if the word _normal_ refers to the included paranormal activity as well. To be more specific, ghost fighting.

While changing, Danny eyed the various objects and devices laying on his drawer top: his rocket model (that was rebuilt since his first incident with Skulker), a couple of broken thermos without their caps, a few goofy pictures of him and his best friends, Sam and Tucker, and the Red Necklace resting against the mirror, giving a quite brilliant glow in the sunlight.

Danny gave a sentimental sigh at the glance of the last item: the Red Necklace was a gift from his uncle, Felix, when he, his mom, and his friends all visited his manor in England. However, it also holds a very special power: Spirus, an ancient spirit who has been imprisoned inside the amulet for the past ten thousand years and can control the spiritual element of Life.

Back at the manor, Danny and his friends learned of a great evil who wanted the Red Necklace and the spirit trapped inside, an evil dragon spirit who goes by the name of Erebus. Ironically, the dragon was the wielder of the spiritual element of Death, the opposite element of Life, and at one time, lived at the manor with Felix.

The ghost boy quickly shook his head, wanting to get rid of the memories; the past events are just that. They're all in the past. The battle of Life versus Death has already ended and Morbid Manor is forever safe from Erebus and his demonic minions. No more worrying about that...right?

After getting fully dressed and ruffling his bed hair to its normal messy state (he still wonders if there is such a thing as a reverse mullet), Danny gave a pondering look at the mystical amulet and hesitantly reached out and grabbed it, being careful not to drop it. Ever since the vacation, he brought the Red Necklace back to Amity Park, but he tried not to use the spirit's powers much often. Sure, an evil demon would pop up from time to time in the past few months, but the ghost boy would make quick work of it before the paparazzi even arrived. Besides, they were all weak demons, easy to defeat even without the Red Necklace of Life.

But still, Danny was unsure if he should wear it. After all, for all he knew, whenever it involved evil dragons and ancient amulets, it was more than just another average ghost fight. Elements, mystical spirits, pure evil, this was all on a whole new level; it was no longer a childish game, not that ghost fighting was ever easy either. But there was the fact that he would've actually died in the hands of Erebus, if it wasn't for Spirus's interference in the battle...(2) He mustn't worry about that now, it's almost time to leave for school.

"DANNY! JAZZ! BREAKFAST!" The mentioned ghost teen was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the familiar cries of his mother who was downstairs, probably cooking up something with ectoplasm. Danny made up his mind and quickly slipped the thin rope around his neck, placing the amulet underneath his shirt. Almost immediately, he heard the voice of the spirit horse inside his head. (3)

_"Long time no see, Daniel." _Ever since the trip, Danny had grown a little closer to Spirus, but not too close. Besides, apparently, all hosts that have come in contact with the Keepers have developed some sort of special bond with them, benevolent for both kinds, of course. Even Erebus has one with his human host, albeit on the darker side. But for now, the halfa has more important matters on his mind for now than communicating with the spirit.

"Sorry, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. We'll talk later." The black-haired kid muttered lowly in response to the spirit before he grabbed his backpack and walked out of his bedroom, momentarily unaware of his older sister strutting in the same location with a tower of books in her arms.

When he finally did notice her, it was too late. After a loud crash, both teens fell down to the ground, Jazz getting covered in her research books while doing so. Danny rubbed his head and observed the mess and his sister, also rubbing her head from the great fall.

"Sorry, Jazz. I should've watched where I was going." Danny muttered genuinely, carefully removing most of the books that buried his sister. Jazz shrugged it off and gave a short grin in response.

"No problem, it was just an accident." She replied, rubbing invisible dust from her arms while doing so. She then raised an eyebrow in surprise when she spotted the Red Necklace around her brother's neck. "So you finally decided to wear that now?"

Danny trailed her gaze to the mystical amulet resting on his collarbone and chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck unknowingly. Ever since his return from the vacation, he tried very hard to hide the Red Necklace from his parents...but not so much from his sister. It only took three days for Jazz to literally walk up to him and ask what he's been hiding from her. Of course, he hasn't told her about Spirus yet, due to the promise he made with the spirit. (4)

"Eh, I wanted to give it a go for one day, that's all." He answered, shrugging his shoulders in a casual manner. The two siblings at this point, were both sharing Jazz's load of books evenly in their arms, making the trip down the stairs easier. Jazz smiled wider in return, silently thanking her brother for helping her.

"Okay, just wondering. Thanks for helping me by the way."

"You're still working on your college thesis for ghost envy? It's been four months."

"These kinds of papers take a while to research, write and type, especially on an uncommon topic. Hopefully, I'll get it done in a few more days."

"You do realize that college is about a year-and-a-half away from now? You got time."

"Yeah, I know." The scene was quiet for a few moments before the call for breakfast rang through the house, making the two teens remember their current situation and rush down the stairs in a hurry, Danny especially. Despite his cheerful disposition, his mind was troubled with many matters, specifically the matter of the mystery meal that was waiting for him and Jazz downstairs.

* * *

><p>After an eventful morning of fighting the invasion of the ecto-food with his parents and older sister, Danny raced out of his house and down the sidewalk, his backpack bouncing against his shoulders. He can't be late <em>again.<em> Okay, it's official: after school, he's going to buy a cookbook for his mom. Not that she was a bad cook or anything like that, it's just the ectoplasm.

It took Danny a couple of minutes of running down the first few city blocks to realize that he has ghost powers, making him mentally facepalm himself. The ghost boy swiveled around his head and noticed a nearby alley coming up ahead of him. Perfect place to transform.

He ducked into the alleyway, making sure that no one was watching or following him. When he was absolutely sure that the coast was clear, Danny let the familiar sensation of the bluish-white rings appear around his waist and split in two, transforming his entire appearance: his white shirt, light blue jeans, and red-and-white sneakers turned into a pitch black jumpsuit with a white collar, boots, gloves, belt, and the DP insignia plastered on his chest. There was also extra white on his costume, mostly on the sides of his chest down to his belt. His black hair changed into a snowy white and his blue eyes became a bright neon green color. The Red Necklace appeared over his jumpsuit, gleaming brightly in the sunlight. Also, over his gloves and boots were four red bands, one for each limb. Soon, where Danny Fenton once stood was the ghost hero of Amity Park, Danny Phantom. (5)

The infamous ghost boy smirked and then rose into the sky, still sporting his backpack. In his opinion, the aerial route beats the school bus every time or in this case, running five miles straight down the sidewalk.

As he sped through the air, Danny was preoccupied in his thoughts, especially about a certain amulet resting around his neck. Spirus was silent since his greeting this morning, but the halfa couldn't help but wonder if something's the matter. Sure, he was still a little bit on ends with the spirit, but the ghost teen accepted the fact that the Life Keeper might actually not be a bad guy, especially if he saved his life.

However, his thoughts were interrupted when he felt a strange pain lingering in his chest, making him pause his flight to school in order to see what was the matter.

_"Daniel, I sense a strong presence of another entity nearby. Be watchful." _At those words, Danny let his green eyes turn into a crimson color as he flew down towards the back of the block's row of apartment buildings, watching for any sudden movement.

As if on cue, near the back of a brown brick building, some of the bushes immediately rustled, obviously hiding something inside their branches...or someone. Danny turned invisible and flew down towards the hedges, two reddish-white energy blasts glowing brightly in his gloved hands. Thanks to Spirus, the red bands around his boots and gloves help concentrate on his control of Life energy, making the chances of fatigue and pain from the side effects decrease drastically.

The bushes moved again and this time, a small figure did pop out into the open...it was a gray squirrel, holding a large acorn in its cute little paws. Danny lowered his arms in defeat and let the energy blasts dissipate into thin air. He could practically visualize Spirus shaking his head in sheepishness as well.

_"I guess I'm starting to confuse animals and spirits now. Never mind, it's a false alarm." _Danny sighed heavily as he noticed that he wasted about two minutes of his time almost attacking a rodent...which meant that he now has less than five minutes to get to Casper High before the school tardiness bell rings. In other words, there was no time to search the area for any other intruders; he has to go _now._

Danny, still staying invisible, soared back into the sky at his top speed of 132 miles per hour, all the while silently hoping that maybe, just maybe, he'll actually make it to the school bell on time. Although he probably jinxed it by now. However, he (and strangely, Spirus) were completely unaware of the brown-haired boy with heterochromatic eyes, watching his form fly over the city from the shadows behind a nearby apartment building.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, chapter 1 is finished! Whew, it's SO long! By the way, sorry for any OOCness, but hey, I'm not perfect. Now, let's do questions!<strong>

**-What was behind the door?**

**-What is the Dreams Seeker?**

**-Who had the dream? (This one might be a little obvious.)**

**-Who or what did Spirus really sense?**

**Okay, I know. The questions are probably a bit dumb, but I'm trying to get the plot going, okay?**

**(1) The winged cat is a creature that I made up called a Bitogake (BIrd/caT/dOG/snAKE mix) or Bit for short. I know, I know, it sounds stupid, but I made up this cool creature when I was very young, so CUT ME SOME SLACK, OKAY?! Anyway, I probably won't reveal his name...unless you want me to.**

**(2) For you people who read MAMM, you know what I'm talking about. SHOUT OUT! HAHA! :D**

**(3) It's been at least a couple of months since the events of MAMM. At this point, Danny and Spirus should at least have some sort of special host/spirit connection. Nothing more, nothing less. I hope you guys don't mind. THIS WAS TOTALLY PLANNED, OKAY?!**

**(4) Once again, reference to MAMM. Wow, two references in one chapter. I'm good.**

**(5) Hence my avatar picture. I purposely changed it to show Danny's future costume. Hope you likey! :D I AM HORRIBLE AT DESCRIPTIONS!**

**Okay, so maybe this wasn't my greatest chapter, but still, THE SUSPENSE! I wonder what the dream was about. :/ Also, now you know why the Life element's color is red, not white, as opposed to the element of Death which is black. The color red symbolizes the vital life blood that flows in all living creatures' veins. And it only took me approximately one story and two chapters to explain that. :P I also hope you liked the short and simple sibling bonding moment. It's moments like these that hopefully make the world go round. Sorry if it was _too _simple or OOC. I'm not great at psychology.**

**DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! I WOULD LOVE REVIEWS AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM! FLAMES WILL BE ACCEPTED AND THROWN BACK BY MY FLAMETHROWER! So unless you want fire in your face, DON'T FLAME! Wonder if anyone conceived of that witty comment...if anyone wants to use that comment, don't forget to mention ME! **


	3. Arrival at School

**CHAPTER 2 IS HERE! FINALLY! XD Okay, you know the drill. REVIEWS FIRST!**

**To Zalgo's Jinchuriki: Everybody loves the big bad guy, Erebus. (3 And here is chappie 2 for you (once again, it rhymed). (hands plushie)**

**To LunaTheBlackWolf: Yeah, nice answers. :) And here is your PLUSHIE! (hands plushie)**

**To Gracie Ghost: No, it isn't the Light Keeper (for specific reasons), it's someone else. Btw, this _special _person can see past Danny's invisibility because of the Red Necklace and...something else. I will reveal more about the Necklaces' origins and abilities in future events/chapters. (hands plushie)**

**To TheWorldOfUniversalPower: Uhhhhhh... Spirus has been trapped in the Red Necklace for ten thousand years (at least), so expect him to make mistakes from time to time. Minor mistakes. Poor guy. (hands plushie)**

**To Cookieplzandthx: Suspense will be a constant theme with _ALL _of my stories, well, at least with MAMM and TLOTSR. Yeah, I figured that the Fentons would have food fights (except it was pancakes, not hotdogs). Also, nice animal combo. :D As for Danny and Sam... yeah, that won't be good. (hands plushie)**

**Yay, now I have to do the completely unnecessary disclaimers. Wait, do I _really _have to do the disclaimers?**

**Yami Corrie: YES, YOU HAVE TO DO THE DISCLAIMERS! OTHERWISE, THE CONTRACT ZOMBIES WILL RETURN AND HAUNT YOU FOR ALL ETERNITY!**

**CorinnetheAnime: HEY, I DON'T NEED _ANOTHER _PROBLEM HAUNTING ME FOREVER; I ALREADY HAVE YOU! ALSO, DON'T YELL AT ME! I MAY NOT OWN DP, BUT I DO OWN YOU! *Corinne and Corrie fight viciously* **

**Also, it took me over 7 months to realize that Bill Watterson, the creator of "Calvin and Hobbes" just made a special appearance in a "Pearls Before Swine" comic strip in June 2014. I own neither of these two AWESOME CLASSICS! If you're a Calvin and Hobbes fan, you probably already knew about this...or maybe not. (3 I miss the old comics...so much.**

**Chapter 2 Arrival at School**

* * *

><p>Behind a brick building, hiding in the dark shadows, Alex watched the ghost boy fly off with worried eyes, muttering lowly to himself. When the town hero was out of his sight, the brown-haired teen released a deep breath that he was unaware of holding, relieved that the ghost kid hadn't spotted him.<p>

"Whew, that was a close one, almost too close." Alex sighed as he traipsed cautiously out of the apartment's shadows, revealing himself in the sunlight. The boy scoured the back alley in search of any visitors or people. When he finally concluded that no one else was around, he collapsed down on the dirtied concrete of the alleyway, still panting harshly from his recent run. "Stupid thorns, always trying to kill me."

At that statement, Alex looked down at his hands which were covered in multiple scratches and a thin coat of dry blood. More cuts and bruises decorated his arms and his jeans and shoes were more torn, revealing the white socks underneath them. The teen grabbed his black shirt's sleeve to test if he could wipe some of the blood off, but as soon as the fabric touched the arm, hot pangs of pain raced through his body, making the boy wince and examine his arm. He soon found the culprit: a jagged thorn lodged in the skin, the stub barely sticking out in the air.

The brown-haired teen rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Yay, splinters, another part of the thorn bush package deal. Why do these things always happen to me? I mean, seriously, why?"

Irritated, Alex huffed and grabbed the splinter, not really caring about the consequences at this point. He then pulled ever-so-slowly, biting his lip in concentration as the thorn slipped out miraculously in one piece. Whew, close call.

"There we go." Alex reassured himself, flicking the thorn off onto the cement. He then looked around his surroundings once more, taking in every detail of the broken glass, old newspapers, and other litter scattered on the alley floor. His eyes casted confusion and worry as he slowly rose to his feet. "Now, where am I?"

At that question, the boy took this moment of rest to observe his exact location. Despite the mucky cement with both trash and brown puddles, the alley wasn't completely horrid. The red apartment buildings and their metal fire escapes towered over Alex like great giants...not that he cared much about it. However, they were surprisingly clean, not splattered with blood or animal entrails or anything like that. Hmm, there must be a janitor or maybe a caretaker who makes sure that it wasn't too filthy.

The sights were fine for a dusty alley; the smells, however, were another story. The odors of alcohol and...other things overwhelmed Alex's nose, making him wrinkle it in disgust. "This place could use an air freshener." Okay, so maybe the alley wasn't a five-star hotel, but eh, he's been in worse situations before this...much worse. And speaking of situations...

After a few minutes of observing the filthy scenery, Alex gave a defeated shrug and started to walk down the passage, being extra cautious in case anyone was around. The last thing he needed at the moment was to have his past catch up to him; someone might recognize him.

Besides, the alley might not be the best place for him at the moment, considering the history...no, he needs a different place to rest for the day and night, somewhere serene and peaceful...

For all Alex knows, he's been hunted down by some evil dude, a thunderstorm is chasing after him at a rapid pace, he has no idea where the heck he is, his best friend is kidnapped and he has only eight days left to find her and the kidnapper, and to top it all off, he's probably losing his mind. Who was that kid back there, _floating _just mere inches off the ground? The brown-haired teen shook his head to clear his thoughts; he really needs to see a counselor or a therapist once this entire adventure is over.

Walking out into the street and the sidewalk, Alex lowered his head till his gaze met the pavement, making his hair shield his eyes from the people walking by him. Although, some of the citizens were still giving him strange looks, maybe it was the clothes. Whatever it is, Alex didn't care. He's going to find a place to sleep and maybe a billboard sign that will reveal the town's name. However, the chances of being in the right town are slim to...

BUMP!

Alex was snapped out of his thoughts when he accidentally crashed into a cloaked stranger, making the boy fall hard to the ground with a _thump._ He mentally cursed; so much for not drawing attention to himself. Someone might recognize him now.

The teen rubbed his head and glowered up at the older man who was casting a dark stare of his own, not yet noticing his eyes. "Hey, kid, watch where you're going!" However, once he spotted the odd-colored eyes of the teen, the stranger gave a low gasp. "Wait, you're th-"

"Sorry, don't know who you are or what you're talking about, but I hope that you have a wonderful day, sir." Alex immediately interrupted, quickly getting to his feet and walking past the bewildered man, keeping his eyes from the view of the others. There goes his chances of keeping a low profile around here.

As he walked on, Alex eyed the various buildings and houses with mild interest. After all, he is looking for a temporary place for rest. However, the only problem was the people; if the entire town knows his past and identity, he's as good as dead. No, there must be an area in this city that doesn't attract or sport many people. Maybe an abandoned mansion or a forest or a park... Wait, that's it! A park!

Alex grinned from the realization as he spotted the mentioned site across the street on his left; a park is the perfect spot to hide and sleep. Also, there was a wooden sign that had the town's name on it. The boy's grin widened in internal joy as he read the words "Amity Park" off of it. He should do more mental wishing more often. (1)

After safely crossing the street, Alex felt sweet relief wash over his form; there was hardly anyone around due to school and work... which meant that he could finally have some peace for once in his life. He decided to search for a spot to sit and rest, like maybe a park bench or under a tree.

While he walked down the winding sidewalk, Alex admired the sights of nature all around him: there were different types of trees that lined up against the paved path, their branches towering high over his head. The cold wind whistled through the air, making the leaves and the boy shiver in response. He really should get a jacket someday.

While he was enjoying the view, Alex soon came up on a nearby park bench: its paint was faded into a dull shine and the metal on its joints were rusted from the years, but it still stood tall and sturdy, well, for a wooden bench. The heterochromatic boy plopped down on the seat exaggeratedly, ignoring the creaks and moans of the wood. Now, to find out who this S.D. person is... (2)

Alex felt the effects of his restlessness in the past few nights catch up to him; he haven't had even a wink of sleep in forever. His eyes started to droop momentarily, but he fought the urge to stay awake. He needed a plan to save his friend without drawing too much attention to himself. _"No...gotta stay awake. I need...to find you. Don't worry...I'm coming for you, Alicia...I'm coming...wherever you are..." _

The boy eventually gave up on fighting the drowsiness and sat down on the bench, his eyes closing as he dozed off into a deep slumber. Unbeknownst to him, a nearby hedge rustled and a low growl rumbled from it. Two yellow eyes flashed through the shadows of the bush, their feline pupils watching the teen on the bench with malicious intent. The growl intensified in volume as the eyes narrowed in anger.

**"Helios is already here?! Argh, that stupid hunter! Doesn't he understand that if Selena is found before the lunar eclipse, then our plan will fail! I can't let that happen! I must inform my sister of this!" **(3)

* * *

><p>Danny arrived at Casper High's roof just mere seconds before the bell rang. He looked down at the entire outside area, searching for people that might spot his transformation.<p>

After making sure that nobody was around, he dived down towards the side of the school building, the shadows casting a gray appearance over the brick wall. He then transformed back into Fenton and raced towards the double doors, mentally glad that there were strangely no ghost attacks...yet.

Come to think of it, there was a serious decrease in the number of ghost fights, mostly because of the fact that the entities were more hesitant to leave their own world. Danny noticed the eerie calm of the paranormal side, especially in the past week, but he didn't ponder much on it. For him, he actually had some restful nights of sleep, finished at least some of his homework, did his chores, and, well, spent some time studying and playing with his two best friends, Sam and Tucker.

As he walked down the empty school corridors (he was still late, even if by two minutes), Danny couldn't help but be mentally glad that for once, it was an almost perfect day, well, if one considers _perfect _by the diminished number of paranormal activity and at the moment, free from the harms of bullying. Although, he was still late, so he might get detention later. Oh well, that's life for him, he can't really complain about it.

_"So this is your school. I must say, it's not what I expected it to be." _Danny rolled his eyes playfully from that statement, momentarily forgetting about the amulet resting around his neck.

"And what did you figure it was?"

_"Well, for one thing, I concluded my theory that there would be more teenagers, instead of being so...empty." _

"Trust me, it's anything _but _vague of life, but we can talk later. I'm already late as it is." When he answered, Danny was already at his locker, grabbing the necessities of first period. In other words, his homework and a pillow. Okay, maybe he didn't bring the pillow, but he will...one day. "Now, where's my English paper?"

_"Don't look at me, I don't know a thing." (4) _Ignoring those words, Danny eventually found his first period paper, closed his locker, and ran to Mr. Lancer's classroom (and yet, no one really knows his first name for some reason), tucking the Red Necklace underneath his shirt. His friends (and the entire classroom) were probably already inside, waiting for him as usual.

"Okay, class, here's your new assignment." As he approached the door, Danny heard the monotonous voice of the English teacher drone on in the classroom about some famous author, probably making half the students in the room fall asleep in a split second. Danny sighed and turned the door handle, awaiting for the usual group of stares and maybe a couple of spitballs from the jocks.

"Ah, so nice of you to finally join us, Fenton." Mr. Lancer addressed the young teen, gesturing to a seat near the back near his two friends. "And you're still late, so I will be expecting you in detention."

Yep, life was great. Danny could practically hear the laughter of his peers echoing in his head as always. He mumbled an apology to his English teacher and placed his homework paper on his desk before shuffling to the back of the classroom, ignoring the stares and jeers of the other students. Well, except for Sam who was the only one flashing a smirk to him in greetings. As for Tucker, he was uncharacteristically sullen, lost in his thoughts. He didn't even bother to look up and greet his friend.

At the sight of his depressed best friend, Danny gave a questioning look at Sam who mouthed "we'll talk later". Understanding the message, Danny shrugged and took his seat, ready to take the lesson (or a nap). Mr. Lancer took the paper with one raised eyebrow before he placed it with the stack of the other students' homework.

"Now, last week, we were talking about the works of Shakespeare. So, for this week's review assignment, you may choose one of three options that will be due by next week: you can build a model of the Globe Theater, do a five hundred word essay on Shakespeare and some of his more famous plays, or you can do a presentation of some of the clothing styles they wore back then. You can only choose _one_ assignment." (5)

The entire class immediately broke into whispers and groans, mixed with both interest and boredom. Danny, Sam, and even Tucker were mildly attentive to the assignments; it wasn't every day when Mr. Lancer gave multiple choice schoolwork. The ghost boy heard Spirus give a hearty chuckle before giving an inside joke of how he indirectly helped Shakespeare with his inspiration for his plays; the teen rolled his eyes again from the witty remark.

This was going to be a long school day. Well, at least there were no ghost attacks for now...right?

* * *

><p><strong>Yep, that's it. Sorry if it's a little shorter than the other two chapters, but hey, I had to change a few things from my original drafted version that's been sitting on my computer for a year. The school assignment was a last minute extra, NOT in my original version. Yep, this story now has plots and sub plots...yaaaaaayyyyyy. By the way, that was sarcasm. Okay, let's go to the GUESSING questions:<strong>

**-Why does Alex avoid people?**

**-What was the man going to say?**

**-Can Alex find his sister before her time runs out?**

**-Who is Selena?**

**-What was in the bushes?**

**-What was so special about the lunar eclipse? **

**-What Shakespeare project will Danny and his friends choose?**

**(1) No, Desiree cannot read minds. Although, that power would be both cool and creepy...even if he didn't say the words, "I wish."**

**(2) The park bench description is actually used in a short story I wrote and typed called "The Return of the Phoenix." It's a short story and no, it's not a DP fanfic. It's not a fanfic at all; it's an ACTUAL STORY. The short story was actually a 15 week school assignment that I had to do in spring 2013 for school. No, I'm not kidding. It took me 15 weeks from start to finish on the assignment. It was actually edited and published, but only to my class with their stories as well, so don't expect it to be in the library or anything like that. So yeah, I've been writing for a while actually. I GIVE MY THANKS TO THE IEW PROGRAM!**

**(3) Just so you know, I already revealed Helios's name in the last chapter of MAMM. Yeah, the last...paragraph of the last chapter. Hmm, maybe that's why nobody really noticed it. :/**

**(4) Parent Trap, anyone? I LOVE THAT LINE, IT'S ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS!**

**(5) I actually did this last fall (although, there were a lot more options). I chose to do a model of the Globe Theater out of corks, brown ribbon, stuff like that. Took me about five days and it actually was pretty nice. A friend of mine did the clothing styles of that time period and it looked AWESOME! We both got an A on our projects. :)**

**Also, if anyone wants to draw something from "Mystery at Morbid Manor" and post it on deviantart, they must first PM me and ask my permission to do so. Is it against fanfiction rules for people to do deviantart on a fanfic? If it is, then don't PM me. That's all.**

**Okay, now there's only one thing left to say: REVIEW PLEASE! I NEED REVIEWS, FOLLOWERS, AND/OR FAVORITES PLEASE!**


	4. The Ante is Up

**HERE IS CHAPPIE 3, FOLKS! YAY! BUT FIRST, REVIEWS! :D**

**To KuriMaster13: Thanks for the compliment. Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! (hands plushie)**

**To Zalgo's Jinchuriki: *stares blankly at comment* Okay, I'll take what I can get. Hehe...(hands plushie)**

**To ZoneRobotnik: For me, Danny and Phantom are the same person, not two different personalities or beings. So no, Phantom can't talk to Fenton in his head. But the same could not be said for Spirus. *Author cringes from use of banned word* Anyway, no, Danny didn't bring his pillow, but I bet it would be nicer than sleeping on the hard wood of his desk. And finally, the assignments are for individuals, not group assignments. Sorry, but that means that the trio each has to pick one to do individually. (hands plushie)**

**To Gracie Ghost: For the Selena character, I'm not _revealing anything _yet. She will be revealed in _later _chapters. Heterochromia iridum is a difference in coloration, typically that of the eyes. It's usually a result of lack of melatin, but it can also be a genetic mutation. It's quite uncommon, but not impossible for living organisms (especially cats and humans) to be born with heterochromatic eyes, central, partial or complete. Alex and Alicia have complete heterochromia, where one iris is a completely different color from the other iris. Does that help? Believe me, I did a _lot _of research before posting this story. :) (hands plushie) **

**To LunaTheBlackWolf: Unfortunately, for Alex, his troubles have only just begun...I have a lot of things planned for that kid. As for Spirus, eh, he just wanted to talk with Danny. Wouldn't you try to have a conversation with someone if you were trapped alone in a unearthly prison for ten thousand years? And he's _still _not free. Poor guy... (hands plushie)**

**To Cookieplzandthx: I know what amity means (friendship from the Latin word: _amicus). _As for the Shakspeare project, well, I figured that it would make the story more realistic. :) (hands plushie)**

**Now that that's over, here's the disclaimers! YAMI, SAY IT!**

**Yami Corrie: *huffs* No.**

**CorinnetheAnime: *gives insane look and continues in creepy, high-pitched voice* Yes, you're going to say it, or I will have no other choice but to give you...a papercut! *holds paper menacingly***

**YC: *gasps in pure fear* NO, NOT THAT! Okay, okay, you don't own DP! Now please, remove the paper! *whimpers***

**CTA: Okay. *crosses fingers behind her back* Now, ONTO THE STORY! *glances at chapter* Man, I really need to work on my exordiums. :P By the way, this chapter focuses a lot more on Alex than Danny, although, he's not gonna be a Gary Hue/Mary Sue. I HATE THOSE CHARACTERS! *growls***

**Chapter 3 The Ante is Up**

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><p><strong>First Break <strong>

After the first period of school, the students walked out of their various classrooms, including the trio with their papers in their hands. Danny and his two friends, at the moment, were walking to their lockers, chatting away about their morning. Of course, the tech-loving teenager of the trio was not exactly enjoying the current conversation, even though it was in a light-hearted manner.

"So, Tucker, you got rejected by Valerie _again?_" Danny asked the African-American, struggling to hide a wide smirk. Unfortunately, he wasn't very successful in doing so. In return, the mentioned boy gave a slight glare to the third member of the group, Sam Manson, self-proclaimed goth girl.

"You've promised me that you wouldn't tell him _that _topic!" He pouted, making the goth smirk and cross her arms. For Danny, it's still a wonder to him that these two quarrelers were still best friends. As for the other students' point of views, how they haven't bitten off any heads yet is anyone's guess. Although, even with all their disagreements, especially about their choice of food, the three teenagers were inseparable buddies from the start.

"Keep trying, Tucker, you'll get her." The ghost boy reassured joyfully in hopes of lifting his friend's spirit, not really noticing the lockers ahead of him. "Like that old quote goes, 'Perseverance prevails.' Or something like that."

The self-proclaimed technogeek gave a crestfallen yet genuine smile back at the ghost boy, fixing his glasses while doing so. "Thanks for the encouragement." After a few seconds of exaggerated self-pity, an idea struck Tucker-he gained a sense of mischievousness as he looked back and forth between his two friends. "And what about you two lovebirds' relationship? Anyone made a move yet?"

At that half-witted question, Danny and Sam looked at each other and then turned their heads away, their cheeks flushed with a bright red. They then gave two glares at their bespectacled friend who was still sporting a smug smirk. "WE'RE NOT LOVEBIRDS!"

"Yeah, sure you're not. Clueless with a capital C." Tucker replied dryly, bringing out his PDA from his pocket and cradling it with a careful hand, much to the two black-haired teens' discomfort. So as to not humiliate their poor friend any further, Sam decided to change the topic towards Danny, still carrying a faint blush from the events of the previous topic.

"So, were there any ghost attacks last night?" She asked in her usual calm composure, albeit also knowing of the change in paranormal activity lately. Tucker looked up from his little device as well, waiting for Danny's answer of the anticipated question.

The ghost boy solemnly shook his head, stopping just inches from the locker's door. "No. I'm sorta glad that for once, I actually have some time to get my homework done and get some well-deserved rest as well. But I can't shake off the feeling that something's wrong in the Ghost Zone." After making sure no one's around, Danny slipped his hand underneath his shirt and pulled out the Red Necklace for show to his friends; their eyes widened when they noticed his family's amulet. "I'm only bringing it for today because I have a hunch that something is about to happen, something huge."

"Danny, ever since that vacation from your uncle's manor, it's no longer just about fighting ghosts anymore." Sam whispered in a hushed tone, the technogeek nodding in agreement with the statement. "Whatever's happening, it must have something to do with why the ghosts aren't out and about."

The ghost teen sighed heavily as he slipped the amulet underneath his t-shirt again, silently hoping that nobody else noticed the mystical item. He then turned towards his locker door and opened it, his friends doing the same thing with their lockers as well. "Well, enough about that now. We can worry about it later."

"So, about that Shakespeare project, what do you guys have in mind?" Tucker questioned the two lovebirds, raising one eyebrow for emphasize.

"Well, I was leaning towards doing the model of the Globe Theater and maybe, do a little history behind it as well." Danny replied, grabbing his next period homework.

"I haven't decided on mine yet." Sam answered, casting a sarcastic look at the technogeek while doing so. "Maybe I'll do the essay."

"Hey, I was gonna do the essay! Why don't you do the clothing styles, Sam, you know, the dresses?" Tucker questioned, unaware that he was going off into uncharted territory with the conversation. If there were two words that should never be mentioned in the same sentence, or else would quickly earn you a one-way trip to the afterlife, it was "Sam" and "dress".

"Oh what, it's because I'm a girl?" Sam remarked sharply, making Tucker rub his neck with a sheepish grin plastered on his face. Danny knew where this was going, so he decided to stop it before insult added to injury.

"We could all do something different. Sam, you do the paper. Tucker, you can do the Shakespearian clothing. There, is that okay with both of you?"

Tucker gave a mild glare at the ghost boy when he was paired up with the clothing styles, but after realizing that he would most definitely get a boot in the face if Sam had the other option (especially if her mother caught wind of it and make her wear that pink dress she despised wholeheartedly), the technogeek accepted the humiliating idea, mostly in fear of his goth friend. The girl could be really scary if she wanted to, even if she was opposed to violence. (1)

Glad that the almost tiff was finally over, Danny (and Tucker) couldn't help but let out a breath of relief. Soon, the second period bell will ring and the next class will then start. Unfortunately for him, it was gym class, or in its more correct term, get-pounded-by-the-jocks-at-dodgeball class. And speaking of dumb jocks...

"HEY, FENTURD! I GOT A D ON MY BIOLOGY EXAM, AND I'LL BE TAKING MY MISPLACED AGGRESSION OUT ON YOUR HIDE!" And there goes the world...again. Looks like he'll be late for gym which was a good thing and a bad thing. Okay, mostly a bad thing. One thing for sure, it's not a pleasant experience...either way.

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><p><strong>Several hours later (with Alex)...<strong>

When Alex woke up from his well-deserved rest, the first thing he noticed was the overcast sky above him, thick with cumulonimbus clouds. Rain is yet to come down. The terrible booms of thunder and flashes of lightning shook the heterochromatic kid to his core and he jumped in fear of the storm. So much for a good night's sleep.

Suddenly, his ears were filled with the faint chimes of the town's clock, the great bell giving six peals before it rested for the hour. Alex realized that he slept for over eight hours and even with the beauty rest, it didn't really make up for effects of insomnia he had in the past four days. Well, at least his short slumber left him with more energy to search for his kidnapped friend.

"Now, according to the note, Alicia's somewhere in this city...as well as the next clue." Alex deducted, gathering his facts together with a blank mind. Rising from the bench, he walked down the lane, noticing that he was all alone; no one was around. Hmm, this was very peculiar...

"Strange, there's nobody around." Alex remarked, his eyes scanning the park and the street in search of any movement or life. Nothing, no cars, no citizens; all that was left was the storm in the sky, towering over the city block with gray and black shadows. At first glance, it was a ghost town and he was the lone ranger, but Alex shook his head to clear that disturbing thought and decided to focus more on his dilemma at hand: where is his friend?

After about ten minutes of pondering and staring blankly at the letter, Alex gritted his teeth as he clutched his head with his empty palm in frustration. So far, his mind came up with no satisfying solution for his current mind-boggling questions. "What can I do now? Where could Alicia be? Oh, if only I knew what to do next, where to find all the answers."

**"Oh, if only you knew indeed." **Alex gasped as he heard the ominous tone of a low female voice from behind, making him whip his head around in apprehension of the unknown stranger. The first thing he noticed were the two cold eyes of a predatory figure, resting in the shadows of one of the oak trees. Fear overwhelmed the teen as he stepped back from the eyes, giving an audible gulp. The eyes gave an unnatural yellow glow, the pupils narrowing into thin slits at the sight of the lad retreating.

"W-who's there? S-show y-yourself!" The boy stumbled in his words, shock evident on his face. The eyes closed for a moment before a horrendous cackle pierced through the air like lightning, a cackle that would give even the most fearless ghost hunter goosebumps.

**"I'm your worst nightmare, kid. Time to meet your demise." **Almost immediately, a black blur shot from the tree towards the boy, and in a moment's notice, Alex was pushed back by the great force, knocking him back several feet. He skidded on the cement, his body and ragged clothes earning more scrapes and tears in the process.

When he finally regained his senses, Alex's odd-colored eyes widened in shock when he noticed the figure's true form, approaching his bruised body: the figure was an ebony panther with two large wings, pitch black as the night itself and sporting a skeletal frame. The panther's four paws were engulfed in blazing red fire, but it didn't burn the demonic creature. However, one could notice the scorching effect it had on the burnt grass and trees. The panther's haunting yellow orbs glared at the injured teen and an unearthly growl rumbled in her throat.

Ignoring the intense pain rushing through his body, Alex tried to back away on his hands and knees in false hope of getting away from the demon, but he soon heard another animalistic hiss, this time, it came from behind him. Turning his head, he noticed another demon, but she was half feline and half lizard with two front legs and a serpentine body: a gray tatzelwurm. (2) She narrowed her white pupil-less eyes as her two front legs stalked towards his form, baring her sharp fangs and hissing in utter rage.

Great, now he has two monsters going after his head. Could his day get any worse?

With no other option left, Alex did the one thing any sane human would do if they were in his shoes: run like his life depended on it...because it did. The two demons immediately gave way into hot pursuit, quickly gaining up to the teen with their claws outstretched. Alex, of course, was still screaming his head off during the entire run as well, which did not deter the two monsters from their chase. Far from it.

"Someone, anyone, help me!" He cried, occasionally glancing back and noticing the heinous beasts catching up to him at an alarming rate. No, he can't die, not hunted down like this, no...

**"Well, I've expected more from you, Helios." **The panther snarled, her sharp claws just mere inches from the boy's back. **"Your cowardice shall be your downfall!"**

With those words, the panther gave a great pounce and knocked the boy down face-first in the lane once again, resting one paw on the teenager's back, the red flames strangely not burning through the fabric. Alex struggled under the cat's grip, but the demon growled in reply and curled her foot, making the claws sink deeper through the shirt and piercing his skin. Pain seared through the boy and he stopped moving, hoping that maybe the panther would loosen her grip and that maybe the fire could also be put out. It didn't work.

While all of this was happening, the other two-legged demon quickly circled around to the front of the lane, blocking Alex's escape route in case he decided to try and run away again. Although, it was impossible for the boy to get up as it is.

**"Any last words, kid?" **The panther taunted as she raised her other flaming paw for the final blow. Noticing the shine of the sharp ungues, Alex dropped his weary head onto the cold stone of the lane and scrunched his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks as he accepted his fate. To die at the fiery claws of the enemy...literally.

"I'm sorry, Alicia...I failed you."

**"Well, once you're out of the way, then there's nothing in the Four Worlds that will stop the Master from killing _her_ as well." **Once that arrogant remark left the black beast's mouth, Alex's eyes snapped open in shock and strangely, a strong feeling of undiluted rage bubbled inside his chest. How dare do they taunt him like that! They knew where his friend was?! Perhaps this was the second clue?

"You know where she is?!" He shouted angrily at the panther, momentarily forgetting about his current position of defeat; the panther paused for a second to give a sarcastic glare back at the teen. After a few moments of silence, he continued in a low tone. "You can do whatever you want with me, but I'm telling you this: if you torture or hurt her in any way, I swear I'll-"

**"You'll what? Come rescue her?" **The panther interrupted with a condescending voice, dripping with disdain and superiority. **"It's too late for you, kid! And she's next!"**

"No..." At the beast's last remark, something snapped inside the boy; he couldn't take it anymore. His consciousness started to slip away as the Golden Necklace gave a bright glow, signaling a great power on the rise once more. He felt a strong warmth flooding his body and soon enough, black dots started to cover his vision, his only link to the outside world. Alex subconsciously gasped as he realized what was happening...again.

_"No...not again...I can't go unconsciousness...now." _

_"It's time for me to take care of this once more. That minion of the Dark One won't know what hit her."_

_"What's going on...that voice...it sounds familiar...ugh...too...tired..." _Eventually, the boy gave up on fighting and fell into a deep, unconscious sleep just as the demon's burning paw reached for his throat...

Suddenly, in a split second, the panther was pushed off the teen by a strange force; its body was hurtling uncontrollably through the air and eventually crash-landed into a nearby tree, causing the bark to bend under the weight of the demon. The panther was in shock and utterly bewildered of what just happened. Did _he _finally emerge? No, he wouldn't...

As for the tatzelwurm, she was too busy watching the demon panther fly through the air, momentarily forgetting about the boy who was slowly rising to his feet, his eyes giving a bright, yellow glow. A brilliant fiery aura surrounded his body, making him appear more intimidating and powerful. His wounds also started to heal and his clothes mended themselves of any tears or shreds. The amulet that rested around his neck hummed intensely as the teen ran towards the two-legged cat-serpent, his hands covered in a thin layer of fire while doing so.

However, once the gray creature noticed Alex, it was too late for her. Before she could even jump back, the boy rammed his fists in her side with great strength, making the tatzelwurm fly through the air and land roughly into a nearby bush with a loud _thud. _A black, blood-like fluid flowed from her side from the effect of the impact, but that didn't stop the demon from giving a death glare to the ardent teenager.

Unfortunately, he was more focused on the panther, who was stumbling out of her crash with a slow limp; her left, front leg was bent at an odd and sickening angle-being a result of the crash. When she finally noticed Alex, her eyes widened slightly at the sight of her master's archenemy in control of the boy, his power radiating throughout the air. Although, he seems to be holding back for some reason...

_"You just made a huge mistake for hurting me, Delilah." _Alex threatened the diabolical demon, his low voice giving an audible echo. _"Now you shall pay for your actions." __(3)_

With those words, he raised his left fist and almost immediately, flames started to circle around it, casting an ominous light of defeat for the panther, Delilah. However, she smirked before stretching her own skeletal wings, knowing that in order to draw out the fire spirit's true form, she would have to use the sky...

**"If you want to defeat me, you'll have to beat me in the air, Helios!" **After that taunt, she gave a thunderous roar at the teen before leaping into the sky, flapping her bat wings with great exertion. Alex growled as he realized the trick that the panther used on him; this has officially gone too far!

Consumed in his anger, the boy didn't notice the other gray monster, stalking towards him with quiet steps. Her serpentine body slithered lifelessly behind her as she slinked behind the teen, lying in wait to strike. However, she knew that she had to be very careful; Helios was not a spirit one should trifle every so often. But the boy, he still had some control...

After waiting in silence, the tatzelwurm instantly lunged at Alex, screeching in triumph as her claws came towards the teen's head...only for the boy to whip his body around with lightning-fast reflexes and seize her throat tightly, stopping her attack from completion. The fires in his hand started to burn the demon, making her writhe and shriek in indescribable agony.

_"I warned you before that you shouldn't have messed with me."_ Alex remarked, tightening his grip on the demonic creature. He then whirled around and threw the beast at a nearby tree, causing the tatzelwurm to smash into it with a loud _crash,_ instantly killing her. The demon's lifeless body eventually slumped off the bark and onto the ground before disintegrating into a pile of ashes.

Delilah, after witnessing her sister's fate, shrieked in fury and dove straight down at the teen, claws outstretched and her sharp teeth bared. Alex watched her form coming closer towards him, waiting for the right moment to counter-attack. If he could time this right...

When the panther's crooked claws were just mere inches from the heterochromatic lad's head, the boy took the chance to duck down and punch her in the stomach, making the demon miss her target and crash into the earth, skidding along the grass. Hmm, maybe this way, he won't have to use his full power after all. Alex grinned from the revelation; this just made things easier, much easier.

As for Delilah, frustrated with the fact that she had came up with a mouthful of dirt, spat the contents out and rose to her feet, eying the glowing boy from the corner of her feline eye. However, she felt a great pain lingering in her stomach, probably from the fire spirit's punch. The boy gave a smug smirk and crossed his arms in order to annoy the cat even more; the demon felt her rage growing in her chest as she gave a loud, resounding hiss.

**"Why are you here, Sun Spirit? Is it because of the prophecies?" **Delilah growled, stalking slowly towards the boy once more, spreading her wings to their full length in false hopes of intimidating the fire spirit. (4) Although, she knew that she can't scare Helios; in fact, there was nothing in the mortal world that can scare him. As for the boy, however, he was a completely different story.

_"Why should a coward like you have the knowledge of my true purpose?" _He retorted in return, his hands glowing with fire once more as the demon edged even closer. _"However, I do want you to answer me this: WHERE IS SELENA?!"_

**"And why should I answer that, Helios?" **Delilah hissed, crouching down ever-so-slowly, hoping that the boy didn't notice her slow movements. **"I am a servant of the Master and I only follow _his_ commands and he told me not to reveal the location of your phoenix friend."**

When the words escaped her teeth, the black beast lunged at Alex with a great roar, but a large flaming object swiped at her side, knocking her off-course of her target. Delilah snarled in frustration as she tumbled and rolled painfully on the earth, leaving behind a scorched back of dirt and burnt grass. What knocked her out of the way?

Looking back at Alex, she noticed some of Helios's true form starting to take over the teen: two golden wings enveloped in hellish fire were spread out behind the boy, and a feathered lion tail curled around his jeans, protecting his sneakers from danger. His right arm was cracked with scales, shining from the fiery aura that surrounded the lad. Delilah sighed from the new appearance; of course, he decides to use more of his power now.

However, before she could get up to pounce at the winged lad, an incoming fireball clashed in her neck and back, pushing her body up against another tree. She could hear the sound of her bones snapping and breaking; her shadowy form was starting to slip from stability, too weak from all the crashes and injuries. Hmph, looks like her time has finally run out. Only one thing to do now.

As her life force slowly slipped away, Delilah slowly rose to her haunches and limped to the fire spirit, still growling feistily. She looked at him dead in the eye and bared her teeth, warning in a low tone, **"You'll never find Selena, never again. As for the Master, _he's_ waiting for you." **

After that statement, she gave one last terrifying roar before slumping to the ground with a _thump, _dead as a doornail. Alex sighed heavily before reaching his hand out and touching the dead body, burning the black form till there was nothing but ashes; after being delayed death for who-knows-how-long, her soul could finally rest in peace, free from the Master's clutches.

Soon, all was serene and quiet in the park, well, if one ignored the scorch marks on the grass and trees. That might be a problem.

Knowing that the supernatural fight might eventually bring media attention, Helios decided that it was best if he left it to the authorities until further notice. After all, his host was a wanted fugitive since last year, and he can't let his past catch up to him. No, he has to find Selena in eight days and now, thanks to the panther, he has learned a very important clue to her kidnapping.

Unfortunately, his host was still unconscious and will recollect nothing from the battle, not even the second clue. Alex will still be at step one and, unless he realizes that he's not alone, by the time he finds Alicia, it'll be too late for her. Helios knew that he will have to somehow pass the message to the boy...in his nightmares. It won't be pleasant, but it was the only choice he has left that will help the teen.

Eying the high buildings and streetlights over the park's horizon, Alex took flight into the stormy sky, searching for a distant rooftop of a house or apartment to take resident; he has to stay in this town now, more than ever.

However, unbeknownst to the fire spirit, there was a cloaked figure, watching him take to the sky with a camera in his gloved hands, giving a red beep every few seconds. The person's face was masked in the shadows of the street block, but his eyes casted a dark orange color, glowing unnaturally. Behind the tall figure were two cages, doors open and vacant of anything vile. He gave a wolfish grin at the boy before whispering to himself in a quiet tone.

_**"Yes, Delilah, you have done well. The Master's plans are proceeding smoothly, thanks to you. Now, Helios, time to up the ante." **_He cackled maliciously as he disappeared into the shadows, moments before rain started to fall from the sky, casting a gloomy tone on the empty street block.

And in the distance, one could hear the somber chimes of the clock tower ring; a signal that an hour has passed in the oncoming night.

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><p><strong>Hehe, kitty. Looks like your pride and arrogance was your inevitable downfall (Proverbs 16:18, anyone?). Or maybe it's the haughty spirit part. <strong>

**Yay, the battle is _finally _over! Ugh, this took forever to type and imagine! My only fear is that people might get bored from the weird battle, especially since Danny wasn't in it. I don't want to focus all my attention on my OC's, otherwise, I'll be walking dangerously close to "Mary Sue Land". However, the ghost boy can't have all the attention either.**

***Author relaxes in lawn chair with Yami Corrie next to her, holding a 100-gallon Sprite in her arms. Author drinks drink from the red, loopy straw and gives a satisfied sigh* Yeah, time to reeeellllllaaaaaaax... C3 Okay, Yami, tell them the questions for this chappie:**

**Yami Corrie: Ugh, I'm not your servant, you know.**

**CTA: You are my immortal muse that I can _control. _Yes, you are my servant.**

**YC: Fine. Here are the questions:**

**-What will each person pick for their Shakespeare assignment? **

**-Will Danny survive high school?**

**-What is Helios's true form?**

**-What was the second clue?**

**-Who or what was hiding in the shadows?**

**-What are the cages for?**

**-Why is this chapter so darn long?**

**-Will anyone save me from this mad wr-**

**CTA: OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH, YAMI! I'll take over from here. So, here are the little facts, tips, outside sources, stuff as well:**

**(1) Sam is opposed to violence. She stated it so herself in "Reign Storm." Am I the only one who noticed/remembered that part?**

**(2) The tatzelwurm is actually NOT MADE UP FROM ME! If you don't believe me, look the creature up online on Google. The feline-serpent critter actually stars as a major character in the cartoon show, "Detentionaire". However, this demon was not in my original drafted version of the story on my computer; it was a last-minute addition.**

**(3) Delilah was a name I picked, based on the Bible story of Samson and Delilah. To me, it's also an inside joke; one of my friends likes to call me "Delilah Door-opener" for some reason. However, my name is CORINNE, NOT DELILAH! And yes, her name was in the original version of my draft from the start, so, no surprises there. Besides, I like the name; it's charming, yet cunning and deceiving at the same time.**

**(4) When I typed that sentence, I was thinking of "Frankenweenie." Especially that one scene where Mr. Whiskers turns into a bat/raccoon/cat mix...graphically. And I thought it was AWESOME! 0.o **

**Ignore the fact that this chapter is 5,195 words long. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! **


	5. Stormy Days

**Yay, I'm back with a new chapter! :D But first, REVIEWS! **

**To MZD16IZTHEno.1PJOFAN: Don't worry, it's okay. I don't mind that much. Life can be hectic sometimes. As for Danny and Alex's meeting, well...I'm not revealing anything yet. (hands plushie)**

**To Cookieplzandthx: Yes, Yami, you are my slave! *evil cackle* And yeah, since it was long in my original version, it was also long in the previous chapter. And I'm trying to the best of my imaginative ability to NOT make them Mary Sues. Nobody's perfect. And yes, Sprite is my number one favorite pop! WHO DOESN'T LOVE IT? (hands plushie)**

**To Zalgo's Jinchuriki: Yes. there will be more of the mystery guy. Much more...*cue lightning flash and creepy music* (hands plushie)**

**To LunaTheBlackWolf: I understand. Thanks for the review and compliment. (hands plushie)**

**To KuriMaster13: _Oh_, I have a _LOT _planned for my OC. And no, the angst will not be sappy. (hands plushie)**

**To TheWorldOfUniversalPower: It's okay. As for the other story, I tried reading it, but it was too long for me. Although, I do like the story plot and theme. (hands plushie)**

**To ZoneRobotnik: I agree, poor kid. Although, Helios did mention that he would give the hints to the boy...in his nightmares. Alex is in deep yogurt. :P As for Sam, she hates pink, frilly dresses. Although, I might have accidentally overdid a bit in that last chapter. Fortunately, she only has to do the essay. And no, Tucker will NOT CROSS-DRESS! He's gonna do a board presentation. And besides, that line from Sam was in "Reign Storm." A lot has changed since then, especially the ghost fights. And I don't know Sailor Moon, so I don't know who their characters are or what their plotline is. Let me assure you: my OC's are not what they seem to be. (hands plushie) **

**Now it's time for disclaimers. I don't own DP. And once again, I don't have to worry about the wrath of the contract zombies. But just in case...*grabs Danny***

**Also, in chapter 3, one of the ending questions was wrong..._"Can Alex find his sister before it's too late?" _I wasn't paying much attention when I typed it, and I already deleted the file. Darn. :( Let me clarify: in my original draft, I made Alex and Alicia siblings, but in this final version, it won't work with what I have in mind for them; the story would get a lot more complicated if they stayed siblings. Therefore, in order to avoid that, in this story, I made them best friends, NOT SIBLINGS! So ignore that question and replace "sister" with "friend", okay? Good. Moving on.**

**Now, here is the next chapter! Hope you like it! ;) **

**Chapter 4 Stormy Days**

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><p><strong>School Ends (Three hours before Alex's fight) with the trio...<strong>

At 3:00pm, the school bell rang for the final time. It was the end of the school day for the students, the end of another boring school day. Without the constant delay and scares of the ectoplasmic ghosts, even the trio was bored out of their minds. Of course, there was also a strange relief of freedom for the students, not having to worry about the entities that used to haunt the halls.

As of the moment, a crowd of teenagers and staff members scrambled out of the double doors of Casper High, flooding the outdoors that were once vacant of people. The air was filled with noise as the kids departed their ways in their various cliques, lost in their own conversations and thoughts.

As time passed, more students went home. Strangely, hardly anyone noticed the cloudy sky above their heads, casting an ominous appearance over the city. Well, that wasn't entirely true...one person did.

"Hey, guys, looks like we have a storm coming." Danny remarked, gazing up at the gray atmosphere with apprehensive eyes. His friends also looked up and casted worried glances of their own as they walked down the sidewalk to their homes, backpacks in hand.

"That's weird. The sky was perfectly clear this morning." Sam deducted. The technogeek walking next to her nodded silently, fixing his glasses while doing so.

"You don't figure it might be that weather ghost again, do you?" Tucker questioned, raising one eyebrow in emphasize. Danny still watched the sky, observing the movement of the clouds with a keen eye. Although it was not uncommon for Amity to get rain from time to time, this storm seemed...different in some way.

"No, it's not Vortex." The ghost teen answered after a few minutes of silence and thought. He finally looked over to his friends, an unreadable expression plastered on his face. "Otherwise, my ghost sense would've gone off. Besides, last time I checked, he's still under trial by the Observants back in the Ghost Zone."

"Then we can conclude it's not him." The technogeek repeated, glad that they don't have to worry about another possible incident of his friend gaining weather powers. "But still, the meteorologist stated this morning that it was going to be a clear and sunny day with very low chances of a rainstorm, let alone a thunderstorm."

_"True, it's not a normal storm." _Danny suddenly jumped at the echoing voice, making his friends glance over at him in surprise. The ghost teen immediately remembered about his spirit friend and relaxed, knowing that he was not a threat. Although, he could give a little more warning next time.

"Sorry, guys. Spirus just talked to me, that's all." Danny reassured his friends, making them relax as well. They're still getting used to the new friend...it's still weird.

"What did he say?" Sam asked, eying his shirt, well, what is currently underneath his shirt. Tucker also nodded attentively, waiting for a response from his best friend.

Danny gazed back up to the incoming storm in reply. "This is not a normal storm. However, it's not from the weather ghost either."

"So, it's like from a demon or something?" Tucker asked, earning him a nudge in the ribs from Sam. She glared at him, making him realize that he asked that question a little too loud to the following pedestrians. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice the three kids in alarm upon hearing it. Danny rolled his eyes and lowered his voice, careful not to make the same mistake.

"I don't know. Maybe." He glanced down to the ground, lost in his own thoughts and pondering. He then concluded, glancing back at his friends. "Whatever it is, we should keep an eye on it for the time being. As for now, what should we do?"

"Hey, I just got this new videogame yesterday." Tucker volunteered with a cheeky grin, grabbing his two friends' attention. "Doomed 2 has officially been released as a videogame and I got a new copy of it. It's still hasn't been played yet."

With that suggestion, Danny was whole-heartedly obliged to join in the fun, but before he could answer, Sam gave him a cold glare, reminding him that they all still had to do homework first. "We still have to start on our assignments that are due by next week, unless you already forgot."

"Aww, but come on, Sam!" Tucker whined, waving his arms for emphasize. "Critics say that it's more fun and much harder than the first game: there are more levels, the monsters have more hitpoints and are much more tougher, an entire supply of mega-guns has been released in the store, and they fixed the Level 0 glitch! Isn't that awesome?!"

Danny's eyes grew wide when he heard the last part about the glitch; the creators must've worked very hard to improve from that mistake. He then proceeded to give the goth girl the most powerful force the world has ever known: the puppy-dog eyes. "Come on, Sam? Pretty please with those dark licorice sprinkles with the black frosting you like with those little gummy bats on top?" (1)

"All right, all right!" Sam huffed lightly, finally giving in to the cute stare. Even she was helpless to the puppy-dog eyes; she wasn't completely heartless. "However, if you two are gonna slack off for the entire week, don't come running to me for help if you fail Literature."

_"She's right, you know."_

Danny and Tucker, however, didn't hear the goth's (and, in Danny's case, he didn't hear Spirus's) remark as they high-fived each other in accomplishment before racing ahead to the technogeek's home; Sam rolled her eyes and smirked slightly from this. Some things never change.

* * *

><p><strong>4 hours later (1 hour after Alex's fight)... <strong>

It was exactly eight peals on the town bell; the sky was growing darker by the minute as night approached over the somber city. Rain pattered down on the streets, on the homes, on everything actually. The roads were empty of both cars and people; almost everyone was in their homes, waiting for the thunderstorm to pass over. It was a gloomy sight...and ominous.

However, not all the streets were vacant of life. One person strolled down the wet sidewalk, hugging his dark blue trench coat tightly as a great breeze whipped in his face. Lance Thunder grumbled as he felt his perfect blond hair become messy once more.

"It's a strong storm tonight, very powerful. Ugh, why couldn't I have took that job in Chicago?" He remarked, shivering from the sudden drop in temperature. However, he had more important matters than just the weather at the moment. "Where was that place again?"

Reaching into the left pocket of his trench coat, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, staring at the words inked on it. He then looked up from his stare, noticing a nearby road sign, standing tall amidst the harsh winds. The storm and winds were really picking up now...

After a few seconds of staring, Lance sighed lightly, confirming the words on the sign. He was finally at the right place. "Yep, here I am. At the corner of 3rd and Main street, just like the note said. Now, where is this S.D. person?"

_**"Your helpless antics are very amusing, human." **_Lance jumped from the dark voice and whipped his head around, noticing a nearby alley not far from his current position. Ignoring the rain that was hammering on his head and hair, the newsman cautiously walked toward the pitch-black place, giving a very audible gulp while doing so. He's starting to have second thoughts about this.

"Who's there?" He called out, trying to ignore the pounding of the rain and the accelerating pace of his own heart. His eyes grew wide in apprehension and anxiety; stalking towards dark alleyways in the rain is never a good option, especially if it's filled with an ominous voice.

**_"A friend...or an enemy." _**A shiver ran down Lance's spine as the bone-chilling words left the atmosphere. His knees knocked underneath him, his mind urging him to run far away from here, very far away. However, an edging sense of curiosity also gripped him, causing the reporter to come closer to the alley, eventually walking inside the passageway.

Empty. It was completely and utter empty, deserted of life. Unfortunately, it made the situation all the more apprehensive. Lance quickly turned in a full circle, making sure that no one was behind or above him. Nothing. Hmm, maybe he was just hearing things...

_**"I can sense your fear, Lance. You are afraid of me, aren't you?" **_The newsman gasped from the question and backed away slowly, frantically searching for the owner of the voice. Anxiety started to cloud his mind from the unseen intruder. Where was the voice coming from? Who's there? What does it want from him?

"Sh-sh-sh-show y-yourself! Wh-who are y-y-you?" Lance stammered, watching the dark gray sky and the apartment buildings with fearful eyes. His heart raced and his whole body shook, waiting for the figure to reveal himself.

A loud, booming laugh rang out in the sky as loud as thunder, making the scared reporter jump three feet in the air. _**"You are a very funny human, Lance. However, I do have a proposition for you of great importance."**_

With those words, a great gale whipped against Lance's back, making him grip his trench coat and close his eyes for a few seconds in hopes of not falling down. The alley ahead of him grew darker as the breeze and cloud swirled sinisterly, growing larger and blacker by the second. The clouds then morphed into a thin shape, transforming into a human-like form. Two orange eyes glowed brightly and the sight caused the reporter to cry out in pure terror.

Within moments, a dark figure with orange eyes appeared in the alley, standing mere feet from the newsman's stance. The eyes gave an unnerving glare at the man and he fell backwards on the ground, desperately trying to get away from the menacing intruder.

_**"Do not worry, mortal. I won't harm you...yet." **_As he whispered in a mocking tone, the shadowy figure stretched out his clawed hand, revealing a tape with a white label on it. A dark aura encircled the rectangular object, repelling the rain so as to not make it wet. _**"Take this tape and display the video inside it on the news tomorrow morning. I will be watching tomorrow, so I will know whether or not you'll show it. If you don't, well, let's just say our next meeting won't be so pleasant as this one."**_

He tossed the tape over to the shaking newsman who clumsily caught it in his own arms. He gaped wide-eyed at the figure who gave a miniscule chuckle in return, observing the poor man with a hungry glare. Lance gulped nervously while underneath the cold stare of the demon. "Are you S.D.? And what is on this tape?"

_**"That is for me to know and for you to find out. Now, leave this place and do not mention this incident to anyone. If you do, well, you already know that part."**_ The figure's eyes narrowed at the last statement and a low growl resounded through the passageway, frightening the poor man out of his wits. He quickly rose to his feet, placed the tape underneath his coat, and then ran as fast as he could, away from the alley, away from the corner, away from the demon.

The figure gave a smile from this, his white fangs glistening in the precipitation. It was always fun to get a nice scare out of these weak humans. But for now, the tape was half of the Master's plan. Tomorrow was the day to exploit the other part. And if the plan succeeds, not even the mighty Everlord himself could save his own son.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I know. This chapter was a little short, but consider it a breather chapter from the previous one, okay? I want to balance the chapters' lengths and unfortunately, it's not very easy for me. Wow, I really am good at suspense...probably too good. <strong>

**-Who is the Everlord?**

**-Who is the Everlord's son?**

**-What is the entire plan?**

**-Who is the figure?**

**-What is on the tape?**

**-What was so different about the storm?**

**Yay, so many questions! AAH, THEY'RE SO ANTICIPATING AND SUSPENSEFUL! **

**Yami Corrie: Don't forget about that little number in the story.**

**CorinnetheAnime: Quiet, Yami! Don't speak out of turn, okay? Anyway, here is the little tidbit! **

**(1) That line from "Memory Blank" always cracks me up. Maybe it was the hand gestures and the pleading voices of the two boys. XD **

**So sorry about the abrupt timeline, but in the original version on my computer, Alex's fight came first. Also, from this point onward, I will be typing from whatever plot is circling in my head; the outline ended on this chapter. So hopefully, I will do my best to make the future chapters more descriptive, but there are no absolute promises. Don't worry, I'll _never _give up on this story. ;)**

**HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Also, don't forget to read and review! Also, just because today is V-day, I will also send out little chocolates for anyone who reviews...and DP plushies! *holds two baskets filled with chocolates***

**YC: You're so hyper, light. **

**CTA: Quiet, or you won't get any of my chocolates! Now, off to do my Cujo story...**


	6. A Fiery Plan

**Okay, chapter 5 is here! Yay, huzzah, huzzah! X) But first, let's do REVIEWS!**

**To Gracie Ghost: Ummm...no. Also, there was no mention of an Overlord in MaMM. Well, none that I found. Still, good guess. :) (hands plushie and chocolate)**

**To KuriMaster13: Wow, really good guess! :0 Anyway, I loved Memory Blank and figured that this line would help with the situation. :) And I agree...poor Lance. (hands plushie and chocolate)**

**To MZD16IZTHEno.1PJOFAN: I really gotta stop with all this suspense...it's killing people. XD Also, whether Uncle Felix comes back or not...that is a little complicated. I'm still debating whether I should bring him back or not, but at the moment, I'm not worried about it. (hands plushie and chocolate)**

**To LunaTheBlackWolf: Thanks, I'm glad my story's improving. Also, I hope you feel better soon. :) (hands plushie and chocolate)**

**To TheWorldOfUniversalPower: Hehe, well, I thought it was a bit obvious. :) Well, we'll find out in this chapter, won't we? Or maybe the next one...(hands plushie and chocolate)**

**To The Boy in the Black Forest: Changed your name again, huh? Well, glad that my story is going well. :) (hands plushie and chocolate)**

**To Lightning Streak: Well, hopefully, all will soon be revealed... ;) (hands plushie and chocolate)**

**To Cookieplzandthx: Well, thanks for the review. And like I stated before, all will be revealed...eventually. (hands plushie and chocolate)**

**Well, now I can go to disclaimers. Which I really hate...I don't own DP. There, I said it. *looks around surroundings and notices Yami leaning against a tree and sipping on Sprite* HEY, GET BACK TO WORK, YAMI! AND...IS THAT MY SPRITE?! GIVE ME THAT!**

**Yami Corrie: It's my lunch break. Check the clock. **

**CTA: *checks time* Okay, you may win this round, but as Bugs Bunny would say, this means war! AND NEVER DRINK MY SPRITE! *takes Sprite from Yami and turns to camera* Now, without any further ado, here's chapter 5! Hope you all enjoy! (3 Also, there's another dream in this one, just so you know!**

**Chapter 5 The Fiery Plan**

* * *

><p><strong>1st person<strong>

_Fire. Everywhere, there was fire. Flames burning all around me in a ring, blazing brightly amidst the darkness beyond it. I could feel the unbearable heat surrounding me, making me gasp for breath. Well, I guess I should be grateful; at least it wasn't one of those terrifying nightmares. I could take this...can't I?_

_The flames seemed to sense my doubt as they suddenly intensified in both heat and height, towering many times over my body. Little sparks flew in the air, floating all around me like glowing flakes of snow, giving me a strange sense of comfort and relief. It was so relaxing and...peculiar. Like it was...alive in some way._

_Since when was fire so comforting? I don't understand it. Sure, there is the fireplace on a cold winter's night, but this was different. Then again, considering that this might be a dream, I guess anything is possible now, even the concept of what's reality and whatnot. _

_However, before I could give in to the warmth of the flakes and the flames, in a split second, it was gone, vanished into thin air, put out by the darkness. It was gone...all gone. There was nothing, except a cold feeling loneliness. What happened? Where is the fire? Why do I have this feeling of...loneliness? _

_I was always scared of the darkness; it was always frightening when the light went out. I never got over that fear, never had and never will. This dream suddenly just got a lot more scarier, and I was utterly helpless against this darkness, against this...nothingness. I hugged my sides in fright, hoping to get a little warmth, a little hope against this place. I wish I would wake up...if I could only just wake up..._

_"Do you wish peace? Do you want comfort?"_ _I looked up at the sound of the voice, aware that I was not alone. No, far from it. I glanced around the darkness, finding no movement, finding no one. Hmm, maybe I was imagining things...in a dream, of course. If that was even possible. _

_"Who's there?" I cried out in response, hoping that the voice, whoever it was, would answer again. A faint flicker of hope was ignited inside me; I was mildly relieved to know that I'm not alone, that someone else was here. Although, that also might be a really horrid thing..._

_"Don't worry, child. This dream won't bring you pain. I only wish to talk to you."_

_"But...who are you? What do you want with me?"_

_"You don't need to know that just yet. And I want nothing in return. I only wish to talk...as a friend."_

_"In this dream? How?"_

_"How else?" _ _With those words, I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps walking towards me. However, as I looked around the pitch-black surroundings, there was still nothing. How can I talk to this person if I can't even find him? Is he invisible? If that's the case, how do I talk to an invisible person? _

_"Show yourself, whoever you are!" I cried a little too loudly, making myself wince as my voice echoed through the infinite darkness, resounding forever. An empty feeling started to overwhelm me at the thought of loneliness. I couldn't help it. How can I be comforted by an invisible person who may as well be a figment of my imagination? After all, dreams are not exactly the same as reality...are they?_

_"Doubt will only bring you fear which will then lead to more pain and sorrow. Don't be in doubt, little child."_ _It was then that I noticed the fire spring up again, burning a bright orange. However, it was much more lively this time, not really staying in one place for too long. It crawled from one spot to another, never settling down to rest (if fire can rest). It was as if someone or something was controlling it..._

_Suddenly, it rose higher and swirled, taking a form of something. I watched in amazement as it transformed, changing into a fiery form of some human figure. Two eyes as bright as the sun stared right at me, watching me with mild interest. The fire condensed even more, making the body of the person more stable and sturdy. My eyes widened as I recognized who the figure was...it was a winged fiery version of me. _

_I quickly stepped back in alarm, not sure of what to do. The person noticed my movements and sighed, somehow knowing that I still carried a sense of fear. Then again, who wouldn't be scared if he was face-to-face with a flaming version of himself? With wings nonetheless? For me, my feeling of apprehension was justified._

_"You're still afraid, aren't you?"_ _The boy asked me in a eerily calm tone, setting me a bit on edge. I nodded slowly in reply, hoping that the fiery me won't attack the real me. _

_"W-who are yo-I mean me, I mean, are you me?" I stumbled in my questions, not sure of what to ask. Is he a clone of me or something like that? Then again, this is a dream, so imagination is in charge here, not reality. So, maybe a fiery version of myself isn't that weird in the realms of my subconscious. But still, something's not right..._

_"Don't be afraid of me. I'm only a friend. However, you need to know the truth of who you're up against."_ _Gulping nervously in response, my body shook in apprehension as the flaming boy turned away from me, walking not very far from me. He stared off into the darkness for a few moments before chanting in some strange language. _

_Gathering whatever courage I had left-which wasn't very much-I slowly walked over to the winged kid, both curious and slightly fearful of the situation. This dream was getting weirder and more...enigmatic by the second. Although, I can't really remember how I fell asleep in the first place..._

_"Maybe you will understand if I show you this illusion..." __The fiery figure stated in a low tone, raising his right hand (still engulfed in flames) at the sentence. For some reason, I was transfixed on his scaly arm as he formed a ball of bright light, destroying the darkness in the room as it grew brighter. My eyes widened again when I immediately heard a terrible howl, breaking through the silence. I clasped my hands over my ears and brought my head down, hoping to block out the horrid sounds._

_When the wails had died down, I finally looked up and gasped in shock at the sight in front of me (and my fiery companion): at the end of the room, the fireball in the boy's hand brightened the area to a point where it revealed that we were in a stony room, dark, cramped, and very smelly (I've just noticed that now). It was a dungeon room with chains on the wall and hay strewn across the floor ahead of me. But that wasn't the part that horrified me._

_A few yards across the room from me, occupying four chains was a large, black dragon, wailing and howling as if he was in terrible pain. He writhed against the chains, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free from them. He continued to screech and writhe, the sounds reverberating through the cell. My heart wrenched at the sight and the sounds of the poor beast, even if he was a mythical beast..._

_The dragon eventually gave up and slumped down to the stone floor, staring off into space with sorrowful purple eyes, giving a low moan from the throbbing pain that coursed through his body. He didn't seem to notice me or the fiery version of me. He just stared off into space, wincing every few seconds from whatever was inside him. All in all, it was terrible sight of a beast that has been broken and battered..._

_I was tempted to reach out and try to free the dragon from the chains, but I was stopped by the scaly arm of the boy standing next to me. "Don't interfere with him. He's being controlled and only those chains can contain it...and him. Unfortunately, it grows stronger every day and causes him tremendous pain. Unless the prophecies are fulfilled, he won't escape from this prison...or of the monster manipulating him."_

_After that long speech, I was left in a completely confused state. What prophecies? What goes stronger every day? What monster? What was the boy talking about? "I don't understand a thing you just told me."_

_"I didn't expect you to. You still have a lot to learn. But don't forget that this is an example, an illusion of the real cage."_ _And with those words, the ball of light faded, letting the darkness of the damp room take over once more. "Now, wake up."_

* * *

><p><strong> 3rd person <strong>

It was very early in the morning when Alex finally woke up from his unconscious sleep. The first few things he noticed when he gained his bearings was the cold feeling of cement on his back, and the cloudy sky overhead, casting an even darker appearance than yesterday. Scanning around his current position, he noticed that he was on a flat, empty rooftop of a brick building, a _tall _brick building.

Alex noticed the edge of the roof a few feet away from his sleeping position and cautiously looked over it, careful not to lose his balance and fall. Looking down, his eyes widened at how far away the ground was. It was at least a few stories if one were to fall all the way down. His mind was in shock when he suddenly realized something: how did he get way up here? Surely, he didn't sleepwalk again...did he?

"No, that's impossible!" Alex reminded himself, backing away from the edge. An idea suddenly dawned upon him and he looked down at his left arm. "Maybe this is another dream as well. A dream inside a dream."

With those words of false hope, he pinched his arm hard, making sure that the pain would alert his brain to wake up. After all, to get all the way at the rooftop of an apartment building while sleeping...it's inconceivable. No, this has got to be a dream.

However, the more Alex pinched his arm, the more he grew scared of the fact that this might not be a dream. "Come on, wake up! I can't be here! Wake up!"

Finally, after trying and failing a few more times, Alex eventually stopped his antics and sighed, rubbing his right hand through his messy hair. Okay, so maybe this is reality and not another dream. But then, the mystery of waking up here...what happened last night?

"Okay, Alex, there's no use in freaking out about this. It won't get you anywhere. Concentrate on what happened last night..." Trying to gather his thoughts together, the heterochromatic teen tried to recollect on recent events, starting with what happened in the park. "Okay, so I was walking down the lane, then there were these two...these two...argh, I can't remember what happened next! Ugh, everything's too hazy..."

Alex gave up on trying to remember the past; it might come back to him later. He slowly rose to his feet and decided to go down to the streets, but a strange feeling of apprehension alerted him. He looked around his high surroundings, making sure that no one was around who could spot him. After all, a kid napping on the roof is suspicious enough as it is...

Suddenly, Alex noticed the flash of a lightning bolt come down and strike another brick building a block away from his position. The boy jumped at the sudden sight, aware of the fact that he could've been electrocuted. All the more reason to get down from the top, but wait? Something's not right about this situation...

As if on cue, a shower of sparks sparkled on the distant building; a satellite antenna has been hit by the electric bolt and the power cords attached to it sprang to fire, coursing down the building and...into one of the rooms. (1) Danger was fast approaching.

Alex widened his eyes at the sight of the fire growing in ferocity and in height. Smoke started to emit from the red fumes and soon, the flames engulfed almost the entire rooftop, threatening to burn through into the rooms. A more miniscule trail of flames circled down the building on the path of the cords, entering the room as well.

In a matter of minutes, the apartment building was on fire...and there were people inside. Alex felt fear and anxiety gripping his form as he slowly backed away from the terrible sight, now being reminded of the old memories that were buried in his subconscious mind long ago...

_"NO! Don't look back! Keep running and don't look back! JUST KEEP RUNNING!" _

_"But...Dad..."_

_"You'll have to go, Alex. I'll stay behind and help the others get to safety. Find Alicia and Peter and GO!"_

Shaking his head in order to get rid of the painful memories, Alex was mentally unaware of the mystical amulet around his neck being activated, glowing with intensity as the ancient spirit inside it awakened his yellow eyes...

* * *

><p>In the living room of Fenton Works, the half-ghost teen, Danny Fenton, was working on his school assignment for Literature. Well, more specifically, tapping a blank piece of paper with a pencil, unsure of what to write. He racked his brain many times for ideas, but nothing interesting popped into his head. Of all times to get a bad case of writer's block, it had to be with this Shakespeare assignment.<p>

After a few more seconds of tapping the paper, the halfa sighed exasperatedly and started to ring his finger around the ropes of the mystical amulet resting around his neck, a sign that he was completely and utterly bored out of his mind. Fortunately for him, there was no school today, due to a teachers' meeting that will take up the entire day. He has all the time in the world to do this...

"Danny, you have to come and see this!" Jazz suddenly blurted out as she entered the room, grabbed her younger brother's arm, and literally dragged him out of the living room and into the kitchen before he could even protest. Surely, this has to be important if it means taking his mind away from focusing on his schoolwork. They approached the table and she picked up the remote, pointing it at the television in order to turn it on.

"Jazz, what is it? I still have to do this Shakespeare thing from class! And for once in my life, I don't want to fail at a class project."

"You have to see this first!" She retorted, turning on the television while doing so. She then clicked to the news channel and gestured to her brother to sit down and watch. "You're not gonna believe this!"

"What won't I believe?" He questioned her, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Danny then looked around the room and noticed that his parents were nowhere to be seen, despite the fact that it was morning. "Hey, where's Mom and Dad?"

"They're down in the lab, testing some new ghost weapon. They'll be up in a few minutes...or hours." After that sentence, she shushed him before he could reply, turning the volume up a bit so they can hear the words a bit better...

_"...as of recent news, an anonymous citizen has given this news station a VCR tape, well, more specifically, to Lance Thunder who wished to stay at home today for unknown reasons. As for the tape, well, we will give a live broadcast on what's on it in a few moments. Be warned: what you're about to witness is very shocking and viewer discretion is advised. The audio of this video has been edited out, so there will be no sound."_

And with those words, the television screen changed images, starting to play whatever was on the tape. At first, Danny watched with mild interest as it showed a boy strolling in the park, but soon, it showed two strange-looking demons: one was a winged panther, the other was a two-legged lizard cat. They dropped down out of nowhere and trapped the boy of any possible routes of escape. The ghost teen raised his eyebrows in surprise of this; what was so special about the boy that will attract even spiritual fiends around him?

"Danny, what are those monsters? They don't appear to be like normal ghosts." Jazz questioned, glancing over at Danny in hopes of getting an answer out of him. Her psychological skills were starting to pay off.

"I don't know." The ghost teen shook his head vigorously and shrugged his shoulders, completely aware of the fact that he just lied to his sister. Even if she knew that he was the ghost hero, Danny Phantom, he wasn't sure if she was ready to handle this whole thing about demons and ancient spirits. No, he needs more time to explain himself.

After a few minutes of backing away and carrying inaudible speech, the boy eventually ran down the block and the demons gave chase, the camera also moving as well in order to not lose sight of the pursuit. The prey and the predators raced for a few more seconds, the black monsters quickly gaining up on the teen. Both Danny and Jazz were fixated on the screen, watching as the gap between feet and claws grew shorter and shorter...

Soon, the poor boy was caught, tripping over a swiped claw from the demons. The black panther placed a paw on his back in triumph and laughed condescendingly as it prepared to give the final blow. The other beast watched with hungry eyes, waiting for the kill. And what happened next nearly made Danny and Jazz lose their balance in shock.

Just as the paw came down, the panther was suddenly driven back by an invisible force, crashing into a nearby tree. Danny watched with wide eyes as the kid slowly rose to his feet, bearing a fiery glow around his body. He quickly ran at the other demon and punched its side, making it fly into a bush with blood sputtering from the attack.

After taking care of the feline-serpent, the teen turned to the other demon who was limping out into the open, bearing many injuries from the unexpected repulsion. When it noticed the teen, the panther stiffened, watching him with a strange sense of fear. However, it only lasted for about a moment before it regained its cold composure and growled.

As the battle carried out, Danny and Jazz watched with growing anticipation after each second. Questions swarmed in their minds as the boy fought against the horrid monsters, observing the former with surprised eyes as his aura and appearance started to change throughout the fight. The ghost teen, however, started to wonder if this was the host that Spirus had told him about earlier... (2)

* * *

><p><strong>On the airplane home after the Morbid Manor vacation (Danny is sleeping)...<strong>

_"Okay, Spirus, tell me everything. Who is the Sun Spirit, what are the prophecies, wh-" Danny asked rapidly before being interrupted abruptly by the Life Keeper. _

_"Whoa, slow down, Danny. You'll give yourself a headache with all those questions." Spirus replied calmly, giving a slow breath of relief. He closed his eyes and continued calmly once the ghost teen has settled down." Well, let's see. My memory's not perfect about what happened ten thousand years ago, due to this cursed prison affecting me. However, I can tell you about an old friend of mine, the one known as the Sun Spirit."_

_"He controls the sun?"_

_"Yes, it's his Symbol."_

_"Symbol?"_

_"Oh, did I forget to mention that part? Hehe, this will take quite a bit of explaining: as you can see, each Keeper controls a specific element, but we also each represent a Symbol and we each possess a unique ability. The Symbol comes in two parts: the mark displayed on the Keeper's chest, and a special form that we each control in the Mortal Universe, well, in Erebus's case, the Ghost Zone. For me, my Symbol is a red spiral and I represent all living and supernatural beasts that exist. My unique ability is that I'm the most perceptive and insightful of the six Keepers."_

_"That's cool. Just wondering, why didn't you tell me this before?"_

_"To be honest, it slipped my mind. After all, you're the first human I 've talked to since...the old Renaissance age. I think."_

_"Oh. Well, at least that answers my question. So, correct me if I'm wrong: This guy's Symbol is the sun? And what of his special ability?"_

_"I forgot his ability, but yes, you're right. His Symbol is also a yellow, upright triangle. Well, now that that's all explained, let's go back to the topic at hand."_

_"Right. So, what's the story?" _

_"Well, his real name is Helios, and he is the Fire Keeper. He is also our leader and a very close friend to me...besides Selena. Now, I don't remember much about him in the far past, but I do know that ever since we've been cast down to the Mortal Universe, he's been more reluctant to use his powers and full strength. He also has been searching for Erebus, stating that he had some secret business to deal with him. I don't know what happened between the two, but I'm a little afraid that he doesn't bear good intentions against Erebus."_

_"Then, in other words, Helios considers him an enemy?"_

_"I don't know. I can't remember. I do know that Helios is not a tame spirit, so his actions are not always understandable. However, he does carry a strong sense of justice, and in a way, he always strives to do the right thing, even if it's the harder thing to do. Therefore, if Helios considers Erebus as his enemy, there has to be a benevolent reason for doing so, despite the obvious, of course."_

_"Hmm, that is interesting. I'll keep a sharp eye out for him if he ever does stumbles upon Amity Park."_

_"Oh, he will. You can be sure that he will arrive one day. If he does, seek him out. It's been over five centuries since I last met up with him; a lot has changed since that time. Now, about the prophecies..."_

* * *

><p>As the short memory drew to a close, Danny breathed an audible sigh of relief, somehow knowing in his mind that this kid must be the host for the Fire Keeper...from obvious reasons. However, the great battle was finished when he came into focus again, the last few moment of the tape showing the boy flying off into the night in his half-firebird form, leaving behind a completely destroyed park. One could imagine the shocked expressions of the citizens in the town if they watched the tape as well, making Danny chuckle in slight amusement at the amusing thought.<p>

As for Jazz, she was indeed very surprised, but she then started to declare theories and facts that the boy was perhaps just another ghost. Danny agreed with her on the ghost part, hiding the real truth once again. Besides, in her eyes, this might help with her ghost envy college thesis.

The tape eventually ended and the television screen transferred back to the newsroom and the female reporter, who was sporting a raised eyebrow. _"Okay, that was very...unexpected to say the least. In a next few minutes, questions will begin to arise among the citizens after watching this tape. Who is the boy? What are those monsters? Are they ghosts? Or something else?"_

Danny tried very hard not to laugh at the questions, but he couldn't help but wonder a few things himself. It was most definitely the Sun Spirit, but for some reason, it didn't seem like the Fire Keeper to fight, based on Spirus's description of him. Sure, that was his first indirect sighting of the spirit, but something was very off. Perhaps, if there was audio, his opinion might be different. And besides, no one was asking the real question: who filmed the entire fight?

Finding no answers for those questions, Danny decided to leave the room and return to his homework. However, before he could get up, the television screen changed again, showing a dark scene that made the ghost teen almost fall over in shock.

_"On other news, an inhabited apartment on the corner of 54th and Main street has been caught on fire, caused by a lighting bolt striking an exposed antenna dish. Authorities are now arriving in hopes of evacuating the citizens, but the fire is too powerful for them to handle. Firefighters have managed to subdue some of the flames, but there are still many people in danger. The ghost boy, Danny Phantom, is yet to appear. Now, we go to Mark, who is at the scene ri-"_

The television was abruptly turned off by Danny, who immediately rose from his chair. Before his older sister could even turn her head, he raced out of the kitchen, transforming into his ghost form as he approached the living room. "I'll be right back."

He then turned intangible and phased through the wall, speeding through the sky towards the burning apartment, hoping to arrive there on time. However, he was unaware of the future events that will soon unfold, starting with that fire...

* * *

><p><strong>Hmm, it looks like Spirus really doesn't know everything. Also, I've introduced the bare minimum concept of the Elemental Symbols in this chapter, so if you think I'm overpowering the Keepers, well, they're ancient spirits (NOT GHOSTS) that have existed for over ten thousand years. With age comes great wisdom and great power in this story. The Symbols has been in my head for over a year anyway, so THIS IS NOT NEW STUFF TO ME! REMEMBER, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS STORY SINCE 2010! I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING WITH MY OC'S AND THEY WILL NOT, I REPEAT, WILL NOT BECOME MARY SUESGARY HUES! Sorry about that long shout... :P**

**Okay, so maybe this wasn't my best chapter, but hey, the suspense is growing! Hehe, maybe there's too much suspense... :/ Okay, here are the questions. GOOD LUCK! **

**-Who is the dragon?**

**-What was wrong with the dragon?**

**-Who is the fiery boy in Alex's dream?**

**-What happened in Alex's past?**

**-What really caused the fire?**

**-What are the Symbols (this is review, just in case you didn't get it)?**

**-What is Helios's unique ability?**

**-Will Danny get there in time?**

**Okay, that's all the questions that are supposedly impossible to answer. Supposedly. And here's the little side notes.**

**(1) I know how lightning works and how electricity works. The building didn't have a lightning rod or any protection against the storm. So, despite the unlikeliness of a fire, it did catch flame. If it seems too unrealistic, I'm sorry, but that's how it goes in this story. Hope it isn't too far-fetched. Then again, there is such a thing as science _fiction..._**

**(2) Hello? Mystery at Morbid Manor, anyone? CONTINUITY NOD! :D**

**Great, now that that's done, PLEASE REVIEW, FAVORITE, AND/OR FOLLOW IT! I'M BEGGING YOU, PLEASE!**

**Yami Corrie: *drinks Sprite again* If you do, you'll get end-of-the-month cookies! Made by CorinnetheAnime herself because she's a nice cook! *notices CTA's death glare and chuckles nervously at the realization* Hehe...five minutes after 1:00pm break?**


	7. Fire and Rescue

**Okay, I'm here...with chapter 6! :D Also, if you haven't already noticed, I changed the summary in order to draw more attention to my story. I figured from the number of views that the quote wasn't that interesting, so I hope you like it. Don't worry, the quote is still in the prologue...forever (I deleted the file).**

**To KuriMaster13: Nice guesses. We shall soon see...won't we? (hands plushie and cookie)**

**To Gracie Ghost: Well, I'm glad the chapter wasn't _that _far-fetched. Also, I never really played Minecraft (I know, huge shocker). The game doesn't really appeal to me that much. Sure, creating your own world is probably loads of fun, but I'd rather draw and write my own world instead. (hands plushie and cookie)**

**To jonathin stuart: Thank you. (hands plushie and cookie)**

**To ZoneRobotnik: When I mentioned the word "authorities", that includes the police. Besides, do police have special gear to protect them from fire? Just wondering. If they do, then they did save some people. If they don't...self-explanatory answer. Also, in Urban Jungle, Danny considered himself as an official (self-proclaimed) deputy of Amity Park, outside the police force (most, if not all superheroes are anyway). Btw, I know two versions of the name of the male version of Mary Sue: "Gary Hues" and/or "Gary Stus". I learned the first version before the second one in a MS/GH test (yes, I tested my two main characters to make sure they were okay). (hands plushie and cookie)**

**To The Boy in the Black Forest: Thanks for the compliment. In my opinion, I wasn't particularly proud of the chapter. Also, here's a cookie. (hands plushie and cookie)**

**To Lightning Streak: Hehe, I'm content that the story is moving at a good pace... (hands plushie and cookie)**

**To Guest (Cookieplzandthx): *brings party stuff* I'm ready! PARTY AT THE MYSTERY SHACK! XD Also, Spirus doesn't know everything about Helios due to...perspective and lack of knowledge of certain things. As for Shakespeare stuff, I had to do this (sorta) last fall! IT TOOK ME SEVEN WEEKS TO DO FIVE DAYS OF WORK! That's how lazy I can be...unfortunately. (hands plushie and cookie)**

**To Remember Ember: Ooh, this is long! I'll try to keep this short. Anyway, nice guessing, but go read the later chapters and some things will be explained...but still, nice guessing! :) Also, no, you cannot have Alex! I have plans for him in the future, but I will not pair myself with him either, okay?! I'm not that type of person. Also, glad that you liked my bitogake (still working on the name). And yes, you can call me Cori. Or CtA if you may. Since you reviewed twice, you get plushies and two cookies. (hands plushies and cookies)**

**Now that that's done, ley's move to disclaimers. *notices a zombified Freddy Fazbear peeking out of the curtain* GET BACK IN THERE! I GOT A NEW AND IMPROVED CAN OF "ZOM-DIE!" AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT! Also, I don't own DP, but these zombie idiots don't seem to hear the difference...**

**I was listening to "Centuries" from Fall Out Boy when I typed this. Well, the song was on a Bill Cipher tribute music video which was REALLY awesome. :) I drew my own humanized version of that triangle guy. If you guys want to see it, it's on my GF one-shot. Tell me your thoughts of it in your reviews (if you noticed it).**

**Chapter 6 Fire and Rescue**

* * *

><p>From his tall perch on the roof of a brick building, Alex watched the burning apartment from afar with fearful heterochromatic eyes, noticing the red and orange flames flaring up and blazing on the upper levels. More bright lightning flashed through the air as if to remind the citizens of the lingering storm in the sky above.<p>

However, for Alex, this entire scenario was different for him. Observing the flames climbing and waving like a child's fingers in the darkness, hearing the cries and wails of the terrorized people inside, listening to the blares and sirens of the firefighters and police as they arrived to help, it all brought back a terrible memory he wished he could forget. It was all-too-familiar to him.

"No, no! This can't be happening!" Alex cried out in horror, images flashing before his eyes as he backed away from the fire, even though it was a street block from his current location. As the flames continued its rampage, gray smoke started to rise into the air, making the sky appear even darker.

_"Get out of here! NOW! Before it's too late!" _The horrid memories of that past incident flooded the boy's brain, making him grip and shake his head in false hopes of getting rid of them. It was all too overwhelming for the poor kid.

"No...no...Dad...I gotta get out of here!" However, as soon as those words left his lips, the mystical amulet dangling around his neck started to glow immensely with power, signaling the awakening of the fire spirit inside. Alex shook his head in frustration as he felt his head grow dizzy once more. "No, not again! What's happening to _me_?!"

_"I'm sorry, kid, but you're not ready. Not yet."_ Raising his weary head slowly, Helios opened his unnatural golden eyes, watching the fiery scenery from inside the amulet. He gained a slight look of surprise before shaking his head in a slow, solemn manner. He has seen a sight like this way too many times in his past.

_"Hmmm...this is definitely a problem. Fire should not be used for destruction." _With a yawn, the Fire Keeper rose to his feet, making the Necklace glow even brighter with his power, enveloping his host's body with yellow light. _"I'll take care of this, Alex. Trust me."_

As for Alex, the poor boy felt the effects of unconsciousness slipping in as black dots covering his vision. He tried very hard to stay awake, but the fire spirit was already awake and ready.

Soon, with a flash of light, Helios was in full control of his host's body once more, watching the burning building with forlorn glowing eyes. It was a very sorrowful sight, even for him.

Nonetheless, something about the cause of this fire-the lightning strike-wasn't right; it carried a strange spiritual imprint, one he almost recognized immediately. Even though he might not be as perceptive as Spirus when it comes to these kind of things, Helios could still sense something...someone from that flash. And if his hunch was correct...

_"Why, old friend?" Why would you do this? You're not under...his spell, are you? Am I the only one left then?"_ Helios looked up at the sky with that question as if to search it for answers, his golden wings and tail appearing on the boy's body while doing so.

Finally, after a few moments of staring up at the sky, Helios sighed heavily and turned his attention back to the building. Well, he could worry about him later, if he could even find him. For now, all that matters is extinguishing that fire and saving the people.

Unfortunately, that's no easy task. Fire is a very wild element and in his current state, Helios is unable to fully control any of his powers unless one of two things happen: either Alex finally acknowledges and accepts him as a friend, or if he himself has to create...a spirit bond. Hopefully, the day will never come where he would have to take the second option. (1)

Spreading his wings and feathered tail to their full length, Helios casted one last look at the sky before leaping off into the air, soaring off towards the apartment with a determined look in his fierce eyes. As a Keeper sworn under oath and law, he must fulfill his role and purpose as a guardian for mankind, even if it means battling his own element...

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the local ghost boy zoomed through the cloudy sky, heading towards the location of the blazing apartment that the news had mentioned on the television earlier. Of course, he had to bring the Red Necklace with him since he was in a rush to get to the fire and all that. Not that Spirus would mind that much.<p>

Looking down at the streets below while being invisible, Danny noticed a large crowd of people (including paparazzi) gathering near the building, blocked by the police officers and road blocks as the firefighters fought the fire, hosing down the smoke and flames from the upper level in order to extinguish some of its unbearable heat.

The other firemen brought out as many survivors as possible from the burning apartment, but the cries of the people trapped in the higher floors signaled the ghost hero to zoom down and turn visible, alerting the authorities (and possible ghost hunters) of his arrival to help.

Looking up, the crowds cheered at the sight of their town hero, grabbing the attention of the local reporters and paparazzi as well. Danny mentally groaned as the flash of lights from camera and phones illuminated his ghostly form, making himself turn invisible and phase through the burning apartment's brick wall. Sure, he didn't mind the attention that much, but sometimes, it did get a little scary...especially with the fan girls.

_"Okay, Fenton, be smart about this and think." _Turning tangible and visible again, Danny crouched low to the bare floor, knowing that getting smoke in his face was definitely not a great idea. However, thanks to his ghost form, the smoke and fire doesn't affect him as much as most humans. But still, not a great idea.

Taking that important fact in mind, he looked around the room and noticed that there was no one else around; the place was completely barren, save for an open door. _"The firefighters must've already been here. Well, nowhere to go but up from here."_

Left with no other choice, Danny turned intangible and phased up through the ceiling, peeking his head through the upper floor in search of any citizens. Unfortunately, there was one.

From his view, there was a little girl, appearing around eight, lying face-down on the floor next to her bed, coughing horribly from the smoke that flooded her room. An orange-yellow glow appeared from behind the closed door of the bedroom, signaling the fire outside of it. The window next to the bed far from the girl was also closed, trapping the smoke inside and making it build up. To sum it up, the girl was trapped with no way of escape and losing oxygen fast.

Phasing his whole body through the body, Danny immediately summoned up an ice ray and blasted it at the base of the bedroom door, letting the ice seep through the cracks and extinguish the fire outside it. With that out of the way, he can now help the girl get out.

At this point, noticing the slight drop of temperature in her room, the kid lifted her face up from her current position, spotting the ghost teen with tear-filled blue eyes. She gave a miniscule smile as he slowly approached her with open arms, taking her into his cold form which was a nice relief from the suffocating smoke. But for some reason, the little girl started to cry.

"Thank you, but my sister...she's still in the other room. The fire separated us...please help her." At that point, the heat of the fire and the suffocating smoke in the room made the girl fall unconscious, alarming the ghost hero to fly out now.

"Don't worry, I'll get your sister...unless she was already rescued by the firefighters."

Phasing through the brick wall and exposing himself to the outdoor air, Danny flew down gently to the ground, alerting the authorities (and paparazzi) of his presence. He touched the ground softly and noticed the ambulances and the injured people in stretches, knowing that the girl he was holding might be in one of them...

Handing the girl gently over to the EMTs and paramedics (while the paparazzi snapped more pictures of him), Danny immediately flew back towards the building, hoping to find the sister...if he knew what she looked like. Also, there were still lots of other people trapped by the fire as well.

Danny flew back towards the higher levels of the building, towards the dangerous flames that inhabits it and possibly, towards the residents that are unable to escape. However, as he phased through the bricks again, he felt the effects of the flame's heat and black smoke slow him down slightly; it's very dangerous to rush in head-on from now on. But it's a minor price to pay for him if it meant saving more lives...

As the minutes ticked by and the flames were ever-so-slowly subsided by the firemen, more and more citizens were rescued from its intensity, making some members of the crowd outside the area cry out in relief at the sight of their friends and loved ones. Soon, Danny concluded that the only one left that he and the firefighters haven't rescued yet was the girl's sister...

However, just as he was about to fly up again, a blur of yellow zoomed out of the highest layer of the apartment a few seconds before it collapsed on itself. The fire grew even weaker from the harsh impact, eventually separating into nothing more than a few groups of orange flames, making the firemen extinguish it with ease. The inferno of the building was finally over.

As for the yellow blur, it started to slow down as well, revealing itself to be the angelic boy from the news. He carried another person in his arms bridal-style: it was a young girl, the older sister of the other one. (2) She gripped to him tightly as he hovered in the air for a moment before he started his slow descent, careful not to slip up in his flight.

Everyone stared with wide eyes (not as much from the ghost boy since he already knew who the visitor was) as the winged boy touched the ground, his wings returning to their arched position while doing so. Not yet noticing the ghost teen yet, the boy walked over to the surprised paramedics, still carrying the little lady.

_"This is the last one. I know. Trust me, I've checked." _ After that sentence, he handed the girl over to them, careful not to drop her. They placed her stretcher next to her sister and one of the residents of the burned apartment-an older woman-ran to the two girls with tears in her eyes. She was the mother.

Noticing the family members reunite together, the boy couldn't help but look down as memories of his own family flashed in his mind, but it all disappeared when he felt the spiritual presence of someone...the presence of an old friend. Turning his head, he finally noticed the ghost boy and they made heavy eye contact.

The crowds stayed silent, finding the air thick with tension as the mysterious boy and their ghost hero continued their stare contest. What surprised them even more was the expression on the angel's face: his eyes grew wide when he finally recognized who the spirit in front of him was.

_"Spirus? Is that you, old friend? Does that mean...I'm not the only one?" _At that question, the citizens grew utterly and completely confused and befuddled: does the ghost boy knew the angel? And who is Spirus? Maybe that's their hero's real name in the Ghost Zone?

However, before anybody could speak, the sounds and screeches of the Fenton's RV broke the silence as the van came into view, crashing into a nearby road sign. Yep, the Fentons were here with Jack behind the wheel as usual. (3)

"Sorry about that!" The woman in the blue hazmat suit called out, knowing that they will have to pay for that later. But for now, there were ghosts to fight, specifically, the ghost boy and that new winged kid. Hopefully, there will be a day where she and Jack will be able to finally capture the spooks; today might be that day.

Danny tried hard not to face-palm himself from the embarrassment of his parents' arrival. Although, that will be a very bad idea since they don't know his secret...yet. At least they mean well for the benefit of Amity Park; they just keep hunting the wrong ghost.

As for Helios, he was also aware of the ghost hunters approaching him, guns (and Fenton bazooka) in their hands. Ignoring the ridiculous colors of the hazmat suits, Helios concluded that the devices in their hands were not to be trifled with in spirit form. Even though he isn't a ghost and his host is human, it probably won't make much a difference to them.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, SPOOKS!" At that moment, Danny decided to turn invisible and fly off to a safer location, away from the radar of his parents' ghost-detecting machines. Helios also started to fly off, narrowly dodging a few green blasts from the ghost guns as well. If only he could turn invisible or intangible...

It was a very close call, but the Fire Keeper eventually flew high enough to escape the range of the Fentons' guns and bazooka, leaving behind a very confused crowd and a couple of frustrated ghost hunters. He let out a huge sigh of relief and decided to fly towards a less populated area to rest his tired wings, fully aware of the fact that he and Spirus will meet again very soon...

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, far from the scene of the fire and the unexpected appearance of the angelic boy, three observers flew down from the sky, eventually landing on a nearby telephone pole. They watched with twisted glee at the sight of their enemy flying off in the sky, away from the green blasts and nets.<p>

The watchers revealed themselves to be demons: the first was the former general of the Forest Post, Taron, a black bird with red eyes and horns on its wings. The second was a silver dwarf Cyclops with his yellow eye and gray wings buzzing on his back. The third was a black cloud-like wolfish figure with orange eyes, his form constantly changing every second.

**"Did the plan work?" **The old croak of a black bird voiced to his cloudy friend. It was still very unsettling to know that his former partner was now the Master's right-hand commander, which meant that their positions in authority have flipped. And this made Taron extremely jealous.

_**"Yes, this bought us a little more time to gather more crystals. Plus, Helios now has to deal with the government; the boy will never escape his past...ever."**_

**"But what about that ghost kid? He seems like trouble." **The winged Cyclops asked in an innocent child-like voice, one usually found in frightening nightmares. He looked up to the shape-shifting cloud, his raised eyebrow sporting confusion.**"Wasn't the main objective of the plan to divide the Keepers and then conquer them one by one?"**

The cloud chuckled softly at the question of the new demon. **_"You see, little one, this particular Keeper we are facing has some personal...business against the Master. While the others are aware of our leader becoming evil, only Helios knows the reason why. He's the only one with his memory intact since the beginning."_**

**"Then why not just kill him? Won't that solve our problems?"**

_**"That's a little harder to explain. You see, we can't kill him yet because of the prophecy. It's not the right time yet. There will be a day where he will come at the feet of the Master with the treasure...and willingly allow himself to be killed by it." **_(4)

**"But what about Spirus? Wouldn't it be terrible for us if the two teamed up?"**

_**"That's what you and Taron are here for. Keep them separate. Contact every demon in the area if you can. And above all, KEEP HELIOS AWAY FROM THE GHOST ZONE! It is of the utmost importance that he doesn't enter that dimension until we gathered enough crystals. Got it?!"**_

Startled by the sudden outburst, the eagle and Cyclops nodded rapidly at the order, fully aware of the consequences if they didn't do their jobs. The cloud chuckled at their frightened behavior; he loved being feared and hated by everyone, well, except from the Master. The two lesser demons then flew off towards the direction where the Fire Keeper has disappeared, leaving the vice leader behind atop the pole.

Cackling madly, the black cloud started to transform into a more human-like appearance, sporting a ray gun underneath his dark cloak. His orange eyes narrowed at the sight of the fire spirit in the distance, the ghost boy following not too far behind him. _**"Soon, Helios, very soon indeed. You're getting closer to the answers, but you won't get any closer to the truth. I'll make sure of it that you don't find them...and that you will suffer at their inevitable deaths."**_

* * *

><p><strong>SEE? THE AUTHORITIES AREN'T TOTALLY USELESS! HA! And look, Danny gets a hero moment! The fire scene idea, besides from other reasons, was inspired partially from "Forever Phantom", specifically, from one of Jazz's newspaper articles. See, more refs from the show! <strong>**Okay, enough of that, let's move on to the questions:**

**-Who is this "old friend" that Helios mentioned?**

**-What was so strange about the lightning bolt (if there is any)?**

**-Who was the cloud demon?**

**-What is the treasure?**

**-Why can't Helios go in the Ghost Zone?**

**-What happened to the other Keepers?**

**-What were the "crystals" that the cloud demon mentioned?**

**-Will Danny and Alex meet again?**

**Okay, well, that's all the questions for this chapter. Ooh, the mystery deepens! I wonder what happens next...oh, wait, I do know what happens next! XD Also, here are the facts:**

**(1) The definition of spirit bonds and their limitations will be a very important concept later in this book (or the next one, whenever the topic comes up). So keep this little tidbit in mind. :) **

**(2) I got two inspirations for this scene: the commercial video of the Indian angel boy, and the X-Men Evolution season 2 episode, "On Angel's Wings." Yes, they both have a burning building and they're both on Youtube. Go check them out. I don't own either of them. **

**(3) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Once the mental image came to my head, it was so hard not to laugh my head off, but since the chapter's done... *continues laughing her head off***

**(4) Remember the treasure reference back at MAMM? I did not forget that!**

**Also, I've decided to bring back the GF story that I gave up on when I was writing MaMM. After watching the new episodes of the show, I've got some of my old mojo back! However, I will post it in the far, FAR future (I'll post it once I write out the prologue and first chapter, do the coverart, and finish my Cujo story). By far future, I'm thinking maybe sometime in the late spring or early summer, considering that TLoC might end around that time. **

**For you little readers, the GF story will be part of my main series, focusing more on the caretaker of the Dreams Seeker (the bitogake) and the key he has. Hopefully, it'll be alright. And if this chapter was a little rough around the edges, that's because I'm not usually that great at writing disaster stuff. **

** Now, time to do my other stories...**


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